Lucas' 20th Century Lit Blog

Throughout my time reading The Plague I have noticed the realistic depictions of many key characters. Rambert in particular struck me as a highly human character. In saying that, I found his dilemma to be strikingly realistic and heartbreaking in a novel which doesn't delve into emotions too deeply. He stood out in a town of people who seemingly had nothing to live for. In contrast to the other characters who also often find themselves in tough situations, Rambert agonizes over the decision. He is consistently wrestling with the morality of his current and potential future action. Rieux also has a partner outside of Oran, but he seems less bothered. Rambert is unique in his desire to leave, but also his desire later to help out. Rambert is extremely human in that humans are complicated and unpredictable, they can change their minds and make decisions that seemingly go directly against one another. Rambert approaches an uncertain life in an uncertain manner, making him seem more rea...

 Existentialism is something I've heard a lot about, however, it is not until our discussion of this novel ( The Plague) that I have actually come upon an explicit definition. It was quite shocking for me to find (based on the explanation) that I am in fact an existentialist, but that's a topic for another blog post. Leaving that aside, I struggled to connect existentialism to part 1 of The Plague.  However, upon further inspection, the novel has decidedly existential elements.  The plague is much like existence itself and the overwhelming certainty of death. Many are reluctant to acknowledge its reality and go about their daily lives without sparing a thought for the ends of their own lives or those of others. Others, like Rieux acknowledge the approach of death, but find ways to carve out meaning and value in their day to day lives. In the context of this novel, fighting against the plague. I'm sure as we continue through the pages of this novel we will encounter many m...