Responsibility

The gravity of the sealing of the town gates is even acknowledged by the people attempting to smuggle things in and out of them – be it people or simply items. This is seen in the complicated process Rambert must endure on his mission to escape the town. He first hears news of illegal smuggling from Cottard who says he can help him. Cottard introduces him to the smuggler he knows – Garcia. Garcia, however, does not want to be held accountable for the spread of the plague, and refers Rambert to someone else. When Rambert meets this other person, who could have allegedly gotten him out of town, Raoul, this man then introduces Rambert to someone else. This person is first not given a name – a reflection upon how secretive the process is, and the attempt to make as to make no one accountable. This person then, however, after meeting with Rambert introduces himself as Gonzales. Gonzales, as with the rest of them, does not want to be held accountable for the spread of the plague by smuggling out someone as inconsequential as Rambert either, and says that he can refer him to some friends. These friends will then introduce Rambert to some sentries who could help him escape. This whole complicated process is introduced to allow for as much confusion as possible as to who the people involved are, because if Rambert were caught – or if the plague were to spread as a result of his escape - none of the people who helped him would want to be held accountable. Even the smugglers can acknowledge the gravity of the threat the plague imposes, while Rambert still cannot.