Philosophical Review: The Plague (Written By: Albert Camus)

 

The Plague represents Camus’s concept of Absurdism, wherein every human being needs a reason to live and wants to understand how events evolve—in other words, humans want to be the film directors of their own lives. On the other hand, nature remains silent and indifferent to human suffering; it is even deaf to human appeals. This is symbolized by the coastal city of Oran, where during the epidemic, the sun continues to shine, the sky remains blue, and the sea is calm. The external world around Oran—and even the neighbors within it—remains indifferent. Oran becomes a prison where every inhabitant is conscious of mortality, facing a situation with no immediate cure and no certainty of a future. Father Paneloux believes the plague is a divine punishment. According to absurdism, however, his view is irrational: evil is random and strikes without regard for a person's status. The agony of young Jacques Othon demonstrates that there is no justification for divine suffering—showing a God who is either absent or indifferent.  Dr. Bernard Rieux is the ultimate absurd hero. He is aware that the plague cannot be permanently defeated, only resisted. Believing in neither God nor divine providence, he finds meaning simply by saving human lives day after day. Living without a promise of the future, he commits himself entirely to the present struggle.