Skip to main content

The Humanity of Rambert

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 real than any other character in the book. 

Comments

  1. KatelynNovember 25, 2020 at 1:41 PM

    I do think that it is interesting that Rambert appears to have the most legitimate character arc compared to the other characters in the book. I also think it is interesting that Rambert was always making the choice to either leave or help out. There was never any in between for him, proving that he's also one of the most motivated characters in the book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KatieNovember 29, 2020 at 10:49 AM

    Yeah I think that Rambert was a very intriguing character as he faced the dilemma of whether to try to leave or stay and help. While others in Oran wanted to leave, Rambert faced that issue on another level, not really belonging there. Rieux's wife is not in Oran, but as a doctor during the plague, Rieux is has a job to do so he accepted his situation. However, before Rambert sees how he can help, he feels trapped and feels that he must escape. But once he sees that he can help, Rambert feels guilty when thinking of escaping, so he stays. If there was nothing he could do to help, he may have been much more ready to leave.

    ReplyDelete
  3. DinaNovember 29, 2020 at 5:24 PM

    Considering the philosophical background of Camus, I wonder if Rambert being a contrasting character was purposeful. Either for us to see the human nature behind his thoughts and actions, or to provide contrast to the more robotic emotions and reactions of Rieux. Camus seems to have thought of every possible way people could've reacted to the plague, and I just wonder why he decided to integrate this particular character into the story.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Beauty of Existence

  The Mezzanine is a novel which reminds us to stop and smell the roses. As busy individuals it is easy to finds oneself caught up in large problems and obstacles, when the most beautiful and enjoyable part of life might be in the details. Baker expertly conveys this throughout this book. His character is as relatable as he is unique and as compelling as he is pedestrian.  It is easy to be drawn to Howie as he is able to articulate a large part of the human thought process in ways that we ourselves might not be capable of. In my mind at least, I find myself often engaging in the speculation and h y pothesization that Howie so clearly maps out throughout the pages of his work. I find it extremely attention-grabbing, therefore, that an author was able to put my thoughts to paper in some respect.  Overall we can take a lot of inspiration from Howie. While he is lucky in that his life is unobstructed by obstacles, he has also managed to achieve a level of contentment that mos...
7 comments
Read more

This Bird Has Flown

Introduction Ok, so if you know me, you know that my main obsession in life is pop culture. So, when given the opportunity to write a short story about anything of a historical nature I immediately jumped at the Beatles. A lot of my initial ideas I ended up scrapping, but I finished something that I quite like. Even though it’s not what I originally intended. For historical reference, before the Beatles were internationally famous they went to Hamburg in Germany for a residency in clubs there. I tried to use this setting to create this anecdote. Enjoy! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LLhh7pil-0e_URGaZAKbakuXcnUdxXcgf0iHXvYWo9A/edit?usp=sharing
8 comments
Read more

Trauma in Kindred

In  Kindred, our main character Dana is subject to horrors that we find unimaginable and frankly even impossible. It is obvious that over the course of her journey these events begin to take a psychological toll on both her and her husband Kevin. She notices it in Kevin, that his time as a white "slave-owner" pre-civil war, has changed his mannerisms and even speech ever so slightly. She also notices herself slipping in the mentality of a slave. When Kevin wants to go out for fireworks she stays home because she feels that she is still entrapped by the past she keeps returning to. She is always on edge awaiting a return to a horrible nightmare. This nightmare even leaves physical marks on both of them, Kevin acquiring an unknown scar and Dana eventually losing her arm. In this novel we are introduced to a level of trauma that we can't comprehend ourselves. In doing this, Butler shows us the true damage of slavery and the effect it had on people then as well as now. In...
7 comments
Read more