Rambert Decides to Stick Around

Up until this point in the plot Rambert has been almost single-mindedly obsessed with escaping the town. He is a reporter from France who was caught here when the plague hit and the town was quarantined. He has since acted selfishly – believing that his case to leave the town and be with his girlfriend was more important than those trying to leave the town to be reunited with their families. He never even gave a thought to the fact that by leaving he could, singlehandedly, cause a devastating spread of the plague. He has thought of nothing else but his escape – never bothering to think of how it may affect others. However, when is first attempt is thwarted he begins to work on the sanitation quads – only he prefaces – until he manages to escape the plague. This is an improvement to his character for now – although he still wants to escape – he is helping fight the plague that is devastating the town he views himself as an outsider to. However, in this section of the novel he is actually given the opportunity to escape. He goes through all the motions – he even goes and lives at the guard’s houses who are trying to help him escape to make it less suspicious. However, while he still maintains he wants to escape to be reunited with his love – as seen through his talk with the guard’s mother – he does not seem to be as passionate about it. Finally, he has a complete change of heart. He realizes that he, whether he likes it or not, he has become a part of the town. He feels responsible; he feels like he would be acting shamefully if he left. Which is a truth. Even when Rieux selflessly encourages him to find happiness and leave the horrors of the town bind, Rambert says that he cannot when he is leaving behind so much unhappiness simply to find his own – he knows it would not be right. Finally, Rambert is acting with diginity.