By mid-August, the individuals in the town of Oran begin to
view the plague as a collective disaster. Author, Albert Camus, describes the
plague to deliver “impartial justice” because the victims hold all social
standings. As I keep reading Chapter 18, I realize that there is an ultimate
shift in the character of the people of Oran- they are beginning to share in
their agony.
The
people of Oran, before this chapter, all suffered the effects of the plague.
However, they suffered it privately. No one spoke of their anguish, though they
had not left the walls of Oran, they still barely spoke to one another- they
did not act like a community.
Now,
however, they are all sharing in their distress. I believe this is because they
are recognizing that that in order to the fix this “plague” they must work as a
team. The individuals in Oran have endured this bubonic plague and are now
ready to conquer the consequences. I believe the citizens were able to identify
the problem (their separation) because after a while, when their imagination
stopped providing them with means to fill their idle time, they were finally
able to acknowledge their “collective plight”. Another thing that helped them
cope through this realization was when the they realized their plight is being
suffered by all people- not just one social class; everyone is “equally
condemned” because the plague is suffered by people through all walks of life.
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