The Knights of La Peste

The song "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse reminds me of the plague for some reason. I visualize the city of Oran as being in complete turmoil, anarchy. Forgotten by God, every man is for himself, like in a war, or an uprising. The death, disease and sadness being only some of the things that makes the plague and war alike. Although the song has minimal lyrics, the song as a whole, like the novel by Camus, has different layers of emotions and meanings giving whoever wishes to interpret it "wiggle room" to try to decipher its meaning. On one hand the song is upbeat and hopeful, but on the other, more concealed hand there is a gloomy, mortiferous undertone that sends shivers down my spine. In Oran, the people often have moments of optimism which are quickly annulled by some catastrophic event. The serum that was being imported from France that would save them all, did not work. The ceasing in deaths of rats, the commencement of human deaths. One line I feel the novel relates very well to is "I'll show you how God falls asleep on the job". It is a very strong statement that hits a personal chord, but I, like the narrator of the Plague, will try to relate this in the least biased way that I can. The city is being shaken by a horrible plague, lives are being taken regardless of age, gender, social class, anything. Isn't God supposed to prevent horrible things from happening to good people? The people of Oran want clarity, they want to know, they try religion, but it just jumbles it up even more. Even Father Paneloux, the most religious of them all, loses hope, gets infected and dies. Tricky stuff. That is, in my opinion, what Camus wants to evoke in the readers mind. The chorus of the song also goes well with the novel. The people are "fighting for their lives" they form sanitation groups, they try to save their souls by going to church, they try to escape. They are Knights, fighting for their human rights and fighting to survive.

Read more: MUSE - KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA LYRICS

Hmm...

Continuing with the topic of Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" I propose a question. What do people do when they finally realize all their efforts are hopeless? Right now in the plague I think that is the point we are reaching, where people know that they truly have no power, but they don't accept it. Everyone continues working, Dr. Rieux treating people, and Tarrou with his sanitary squad, and I propose that this proves that there is something else in Maslow's category of physical needs. Besides food and water, people need mental nourishment. It may not be as deep as self-actualization, but everyone needs something to do, something to keep their mind working and something to keep them sane. I think that when people accept that something is hopeless that is when it truly becomes such, as long as they keep fighting there is a chance. The mind is a physical part of the body that needs stimulation, and i think that Camus is trying to show us just how important a strong mind and strong willpower is. Hopefully as the story progresses we will see the results of the main characters' persistence and determination to survive. Will they make it out and show that nothing can overcome the human race or will most die showing all the stages of the human life leading up to the inevitable death.

R vs R

Dr. Rieux vs Rambert.

They are both in Oran, they both are separated from the loves of their lives. In contrast Dr. Rieux is in his home while Rambert is not in the comfort of his home. Dr. Rieux fights against the plague, against letting oneself be overcome by a disease without a fight, even though ultimately he is setting himself up for disappointment. Rieux does not expect to be happy, he works against the disease regardless of the likelihood of his success. Rambert initially fights to get out, he fights his situation, the rules, everything.As he comes to realize that there is no way out Rambert learns the hard way that he is part of something bigger than himself, and that he has to quit helplessly trying to escape his situation and face it like a man. He does, and the reader is proud of him. After accepting that the plague was all of their problem he even risks his life to help fight the plague. Although Rieux and Rambert seem different, they are actually quite the same, they also come to the conclusion that the fight for the citizens of Oran is more important than the fight to get to the women they love (that were actually safe!) Which seems to be the right thing to do.

A New Perspective on an Old Character

In this section, Tarrou suggests to Rambert that his group is in search of more volunteers and that Rambert would be useful in helping in his anti-plague efforts. However, Rambert’s response was no. This response was not surprising; however, the question was. Raymond Rambert, the writer who visited the town of Oran to write a feature story for his newspaper article was in a state of disbelief when he found no way out after the small town was quarantined. Throughout the story, he has spent his time begging people for help to find a way out since he did not know one person in the town. His response made a great deal of sense. On the contrary, I believe that Jean Tarrou is so absorbed with his relief efforts that he does not realize that Rambert would obviously not want to offer his assistance. This somewhat innocent question is a way in which author, Albert Camus, wants to demonstrate that even the sanest people in the town of Oran are beginning to loose their minds. This element of foreshadowing is sending an underlying message to the audience: everyone is becoming deranged and now, the idea of quarantining Oran is useless. Though it is hard to fortell what will happen at the end of the story it is easy to figure out that it is not positive. Jean Tarrou’s above suspicious question should not be overlooked because it is something more significant than expected.

The Plague Takes Everything

I agree with Paulo’s interpretation of the plague’s affect on the townspeople. Whereas before not many people were taking the plague seriously, now it is affecting every part of their life; whether they like it or not. The plague is not only affecting those torn away from their families – it is all encompassing, and as Paulo said, affects everyone in every aspect of their life. The plague has closed the gates, affecting the transfer of food – a physiological need. It has robbed the citizens of safety – everyone lives in fear of contracting it. People cannot even find true safety in their homes; the air they breathe poses a threat. The plague has taken away all feelings of safety from the villagers.  It has separated families and lovers – robbing people of their need for love. Not only has it separated them physically by the closing of the gates, but it has separated them both emotionally and permanently as well. Families on the other side of the gate have no clue as to whether their loved ones are alive or not; the plague has caused complete emotional isolation. Lastly, it has stolen from the population any esteem the citizens may have had - any pride they had. It has turned the population into cowards – everyone fears the disease, whether they voice their fear or not. The plague has taken everything from the town. 

Brainstorming

Soooooo.... I have finished Part 3 of the novel and lets take a look at what would this all be saying. My personal feelings on the story are that Camus is trying to show people that life should not be taken for granted. The people of Oran no matter how rich or poor now have all been trust into a situation where the only goal now is survival. Now how do people react? They must give up all that is not absolutely necessary in order to "live to fight another day". Even the poorer people begin to cherish what they have, such as family much more. Also people begin to find common ground and it is plain to see that when people can relate to each other in some way they become a closer knit community, doing what they can to help one another. Not only do people come together, but many people's true colors come to the surface, as they begin to take advantage of unfortunate situations to make a profit. Camus shows us that you don't see a person's true character, until it is truly tested. One last thing I think we can take from so far in the novel is a new perspective on religion. Religion whether you believe in God of not has an effect on you. When the plague takes over people are dying and many people turn to religion for closure. Even Dr. Rieux who doesn't believe in God is affected by religion, his own belief that there is no after life pushes him to survive and affects his behavior. Thus, I think we can say that religion is an important aspect to consider in any human society.

Plight of parted lovers

The third major point the narrator dives into during Part 3 is the  "plight of parted lovers". In the early days of the plague people had strong recollections of the ones that they were separated from. People could recall almost everything about them, but as time went on, no matter how strong the bond the memories began to fade. The people were "wasting away emotionally as well as physically" (180). They had lost the ability to imagine what it was like to " live with someone whose life is wrapped in yours" (181). The plague cuts even love out of people's hearts and leave them bare. This is yet another way in which the plague is forcing people to conform, forcing them to give up the things that they once cherished in order to survive. This sort of reminds me of Maslow's "hierarchy of needs". First comes physical needs, then safety, then love, then esteem and then self actualization, and as we can see through the story people have slowly been giving up each level. First it was self actualization because people gave up their careers, next esteem because in the confines of the city everyone is equal and subject to the same problems, then now love because they are giving up their lost love ones that they can no longer see.

French reading of La Peste

reeeaaalllyyy cooool.

Excerpts of La Peste, by Albert Camus. Interpreted in 2000 by Francis Huster, in a theater in Paris

Rambert’s Enlightenment and resulting Depression

               Seen in the previous section of the novel Rambert was frantic to escape the confines of the town, supposedly under the pretense of reuniting with a lover in Paris. However, after being stood up by the men who were supposed to help him escape, Rambert seems to loose all hope. He, finally, has managed to get it into his stubborn head that the plague is a terrifying force to recon with. No one wants to be held accountable for its possible spread by helping him leave. Ironically, he things that while he has had an epiphany Rieux – who works with the plague every day – is blind to the truth it presents; as seen when he asks Rieux if “you haven’t understood yet?” (161). The understanding Rambert is citing is the understanding that the plague has thrown the town into a terrifying cycle of death, one from which everyone is unable to escape a cycle that Rambert describes as being “the same thing over and over and over again” (161). While this new outlook of Rambert’s is far more enlightened than his previous thought set, he remains pessimistic. He lacks the hope that Tarrou and Rieux are forced to have – as a result of dealing with such misery on a daily basis – the hope that the cycle will end and the plague will finally release its grip on the town. Rambert goes so far in his pessimism to comments of martyrdom, in which he claims that man has nothing to live for but love – of which many have lost the capacity. He seems somewhat suicidal in this comment, however he moves on with his thoughts to volunteer for the sanitation squad. However, this, in itself, may be a suicidal act on his part – agreeing to work hands on on with the plague he had previously worked so hard to avoid. 

              

On the Plague’s Progression

            At this point in the story even the most stubborn minded residents have come to accept the finality of the plague. The plague offers no moments of solace for the members of this village. Whereas before it was pillaging the outer districts of the town, as soon as people begin to accept what is happening to them, the plague takes another turn - seemingly always wanting to keep the villagers on their toes. Now the plague is affecting the wealthier, more central districts of Oran, and with ironic outcomes. This sudden explosion of plague in this area has caused a segregation of these central areas; resulting in a further constriction of the freedom the occupants of Oran had clung to. Ironically, however, now the wealthier citizens of this area begin to envy the poorer occupants: they envy their freedom. The tables have been turned – the plague completely flipping the social demographic of the town on its head to a point where the poor are now the ones to be envied while the rich are stripped of their freedom as the plague runs throughout their populations. The plague has affected the population of Oran to such an extent that they become seemingly frenzied in a need to free themselves from it. Many people, upon return from quarantine, feel the need to burn their homes - affectively both symbolically and physically destroying their pasts; where they came from, everything that ties them to Oran and the plague currently pillaging it.