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 Godfalls 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.
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