Dr. Rieux and his surprising change in attitude: CRISTINA VALENCIA

After being introduced to Dr. Rieux in the beginning of the novel, I had found him to be a symbol of hope to the people of Oran. However, as my reading progressed, I began to view him as a more pessimistic character and though a Doctor; he demonstrated a seemingly low or negative point of view when the topic of the epidemic arrived in any conversation. Nevertheless, Dr. Rieux’s character has once again proved my opinion wrong by now, in this section, demonstrating a more positive outlook on the epidemic.

            Albert Camus uses Tarrou as a character who unmasks the beliefs and perceptions of Dr. Rieux. In this section, Tarrou holds a conversation with Dr. Rieux after a town priest who claimed that it was the plague delivered the sermon was the townspeople’s fault. In this conversation, Dr. Rieux’s reveals that he and the priests holds different beliefs—Dr. Rieux is not a Christian. The reality that Rieux is not a Christian is surprising due to the fact that many of the individuals in Oran are. His different religious preferences clearly differentiate him from the individuals in Oran. Furthermore, deeper into the conversation, Dr. Rieux reveals that he shares the same belief system as that of Tarrou-“ human catastrophes have a positive side because they force people to rise above themselves”. Also, Dr. Rieux demonstrates his belief system: believing in God is aimless and the individuals of Oran should concentrate on “defying death”. Dr. Rieux’s beliefs and perceptions demonstrate a clear difference between himself and the individuals of Oran.