Character Development, And Symbolism In Albert Camus's The Plague

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Albert Camus’s The Plague is a novel about an ordinary town that is suddenly stricken by plague. A few of Camus’s philosophies such as the absurd, separation, and isolation are incorporated in the events of the story. The absurd, which is the human desire for purpose and significance in a meaningless and indifferent universe, is central to the understanding of The Plague. In The Plague, Camus uses character development and irony to show that even through the obvious superiority of the universe, man is in constant effort to outlive the absurd. The Plague is crafted around the belief that humans live life in search of a value or purpose that will never be revealed to them because it does not exist.
Character development in The Plague plays a significant role in illustrating the way that man will endure against an incomparable being or force. In this case, the plague. The people of Oran have an understanding, though an indefinite one, of the power of the plague because Dr. Rieux publicly accepts the situation. Rieux makes it clear that he plans to “get busy with [the plague]” (89), but “[he] knew: that this wasn’t the easiest course” (89). In other words, Dr. Rieux us fully aware that he is up against something much stronger than himself. However, he is intent on combating the plague. Dr. Rieux, however, does not represent all of the people. Not all of the people are immediately awake to the fact that the plague is a force to be reckoned with. Because a majority of them do not know the true power of the plague, they have no desire to counteract the early stages of the disease. Without knowing the actual severity of the situation, “the risk of the plague seemed insignificant” (70) to them. The overall nonchalant attitude of the citi...

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...eping a death toll is a way that the people can spot signs of a victory that may be near. However, they have no control over the deaths. The fight is ultimately quixotic.
The futile attempts by Oranian people are shown throughout the phenomenon that is the plague. Not once do they completely give up hope, even when it seems like the best course of action is to do so. At the end of the story, the plague does seem to vanish, but not because of the people. Camus’s ingenious usage of irony and the subtle development of the characters effectively supports the idea that man will forever strive to outlast and outwit the absurd. When the plague leaves, and the city is in ruins, the people can actually see for themselves how they’ve changed. The literal plague no longer floods the streets, but with its departure comes the realization that the plague will never truly leave.

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