Cottard & the benefits he reaps from the plague: CRISTINA VALENCIA

In this section, Cottard becomes a more prevalent character. Cottard’s active role in smuggling trade through the border of Oran greatly affects the condition or state of the town however; it also affects his feelings and actions. By smuggling, Cottard is gaining money as well as growing his name.

            Cottard is growing increasingly content with his situation but not because of his newly created high income, it is also because of the relief he now has knowing that everyone in the town of Oran shares his same depressed sentiments. When the audience was introduced to Cottard earlier in the novel, he was characterized as a lonely man whom sought friendship and believed that money would make him more content with his living condition. Nevertheless, now, though he believes that everyone shares his sentiments and suffering he does not realize that though suffering is common among all individuals in Oran, all suffering is felt or performed alone. This truth, though it goes unnoticed by Cottard, will eventually in the novel make him feel the same way he did in the beginning.

            Some of the individuals in the town of Oran, though they contribute in helping better the conditions of the town inevitably do not share their depressed feelings with others. A common action performed by Tarrou is drawing parallels between one of the main characters of the novel and the townspeople of Oran; and once again he creates this connection between the sentiments of Cottard and the townspeople.