Motives

Tarrou and Rieux are currently in the story as the main proponents of the sanitation movement. With Tarrou having started the sanitation league and Rieux treating patients all over town. Though each has different beliefs and reasons for what they are doing the plague brings them together. Rieux and his atheist ideals make him fight for life with anything and everything at his disposition even though he realizes that it inevitably will come. While Tarrou believes in working for the greater good of everyone, he believes that the plague is a problem for everyone and there are too many, “slackers” (157) that need to start helping otherwise they will never get through this. Tarrou and Rieux have inevitably been brought closer together and have even asked if Cottard wishes to help the sanitation league. Cottard refuses by the notion that it isn’t his duty to help the sanitation league, but Rieux counters by saying that it is simply common decency to help. Cottard’s refusal to help only emphasize that he does not want the quarantine of the plague to end. He is finally free of the fear of being arrested for that mysterious crime he commited sometime before the plague settled in,because the authorities have bigger problems on their hands. Not only that but Cottard is also making a fortune through his smuggling of goods into the city. The plague has only benefited him and thus he represents the small portion of people in Oran who are better off with the plague infesting the town.