The Plague (French: La Peste) is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1947, that tells the story from the point of view of an unknown narrator of a plague sweeping the French Algerian city of Oran. His works include The Stranger, The Plague, The Myth of Sisyphus, The Fall, and The Rebel. In April, thousands of rats climb up from the sewers and die. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Even before the plague, Oran is an isolated place, gated off from the world, surrounded by sea on two sides and hills on the others. In the town of Oran, thousands of rats die. Many consider this novel to be a war allegory of the French resistance to the Nazis in World War II, pointing out the futility of human aspirations and the inevitability of suffering. Grand gets ill, and the grieving Dr. Rieux gives him the serum, not expecting it to work. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. The story is narrated to us by an odd, nameless narrator strangely obsessed with objectivity, who tends to focus on a man named Dr. Bernard Rieux. La Peste = The Plague, Albert Camus The Plague is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1947, that tells the story of a plague sweeping the French Algerian city of Oran. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal Dr. Rieux and other doctors in the town beg the authorities to take action, but what they do instead is quarantine the town, cutting it off from the rest of the world. Depending on the perspective of the reader, the plague of the novel could relate to the fascism and Nazism of World War II and the French Resistance, a more universal application to the plague of oppressive governments or an even more universal application of the oppression suffered by a minority for no apparent reason. We further learn that "Oran is grafted on to a unique landscape, in the center of a bare plateau, ringed with luminous hills and above a perfectly shaped bay." Albert Camus (/ k æ ˈ m uː / kam-OO, US also / k ə ˈ m uː / kə-MOO, French: [albɛʁ kamy] (); 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, and journalist. Many die. Services. 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Already registered? The Plague. Good stuff. A townsman, Cottard, tries to kill himself, but is rescued by his neighbor Grand, a friend of Dr. Rieux. Through the voice of his compassionate protagonist, Dr. Rieux, Camus speaks of the graphic horror of the plague and its effect on the population. Good stuff. Anyway, since the narrative doesn’t mention everyone being in the midst of a huge war, we figure it’s either after the war, or there is no war in this fictional world, or – and this is highly likely – no one in Oran cares anyway. Albert Camus' gritty philosophical masterpiece, The Plague, tells of the horror and suffering that accompanied a plague as it swept through 1940s Algeria. That was the year of –– and ––. In the book, the exact year of the plague is never given, it's just written as ''194--.'' Fewer and fewer people die each day, and Oran begins to beat the plague. Create an account to start this course today. Not sure what college you want to attend yet? In April, thousands of rats stagger into the open and die. Rambert decides to forget about his plan to escape and stay in town to help. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 308 pages and is available in Paperback format. The mess starts when rats everywhere die. The 1940s were World War II time, at least from 1939 to 1945. Ah, yes, 194–, we remember it fondly. Create your account. This illness is actually the Bubonic plague, better known to history as the Black Death, that consumed medieval Europe. and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. Each time, he's stopped. People become hysterical and the authorities respond by killing rats. Martial law is declared due to the deteriorating conditions in the town. The inciting incident in the plague is when the rats in the city of Oran begin to crawl out and die randomly. All rights reserved. The Plague by Albert Camus Essay 1998 Words | 8 Pages. The most potent imagery is of the plague as a sentient being, stalking the populace and affecting every aspect of their lives. The Plague is essentially a philosophical novel, meaning that it forwards a particular worldview through its plot and characterization. That the citizens can’t live without choice, that they must go looking for what they wish to see, is the way an existentialist would describe any man.Yet another lesson in why we should never, ever ignore the setting of a novel. All right, let's take a moment to review what we've learned. Another doctor makes a serum, but it doesn't help the son of the police magistrate, M. Othon, and the young boy dies. Unless it insults you, in which case, give it the silent treatment for a bit. What is the Difference Between Blended Learning & Distance Learning? The Plague Summary. There rising action is when the young boy died and everybody grieves over this. The inaction of the Prefect and other authorities becomes about not standing up to injustice, and Rieux and Tarrou are seen as heroes of something like the French Resistance. The Plague Setting The town of Oran, Algeria , is on the northern coast of Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. The narrator mentions that "the seasons are discriminated only in the sky," which suggests that things are just as mundane and repetitive before the plague begins as after it has settled in. People begin to go crazy in Oran. In The Plague, how does religion affect the mind and decisions of the town? The author was an existentialist philosopher who was also a journalist, a writer, and a member of the French Resistance to the Nazi occupation. (If you want to go the allegory route, in which Oran = everyone’s hometown, then it looks as though Camus’s view of the world is indeed rather bleak.) With William Hurt, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jean-Marc Barr, Robert Duvall. Rieux sends his wife, who has been an invalid for years, out of town to be treated, and his mother arrives to help him around the house. Get access risk-free for 30 days, The Plague is a novel written by Albert Camus, an ultimately bleak story about a terrible illness that swept through an unprepared town. Here’s a map. While many attempt to flee the city, Dr. Bernard Rieux sends his sick wife away and does his best to care for the plague's victims. The rats stop dying, possibly because they are all dead, and people begin to get ill. The death toll passes 700 a week, and many people barricade themselves in their homes. People keep dying. How many dancing plagues have there been, and when did they each occur? Nearly all these early Plague ideas reveal Camus' concern for a truthful realism and a rejection of sensationalism. A gripping tale of human unrelieved horror, of survival and resilience, and of the ways in which humankind confronts death, The Plague is at once a masterfully crafted novel, eloquently understated and epic in scope, and a parable of ageless moral resonance, profoundly relevant to our times. Directed by Luis Puenzo. The local priest, Father Paneloux, tells the townspeople that the plague is their fault for sinning. Tarrou, the tourist who is also stuck in town, asks Dr. Rieux's help in finding volunteers to fight the plague. Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. Both men are acting strangely: Cottard is very nervous around policemen, and Grand, despite almost complete inability to find the right words, is trying to write a book and a letter to his ex-wife. credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. This lesson will focus on the summary and setting of the novel. The Plague is a novel about a plague epidemic in the large Algerian city of Oran. An error occurred trying to load this video. In The Plague, Albert Camus writes about a plague that strikes the Algerian town of Oran around 1940 and devastates the residents who did not expect a plague. Ah, yes, 194–, we remember it fondly. Rereading The Plague over these past weeks … The novel tells the story of a devastating plague afflicting the city of Oran, located in what was, at the time, French Algeria. Dori has taught college and high school English courses, and has Masters degrees in both literature and education. Eventually, they declare a … It’s ugly, he says, a "thoroughly negative place." There’s quite a bit to cover here, so settle down now. The cemeteries are full of dead bodies, and all the hotels and large buildings in Oran have been turned into hospitals. This objective tone is particularly important because by underplaying the sensationalism of the plague, he hopes to startle our intellect more completely to its lessons. flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? In the book, Oran is described physically as being bleak and boring. Full Title: The Plague Author: Albert Camus Year: 1947 Genre: Fiction, Novel Publisher: Vintage International ISBN 0-679-72021-9 (trade paperback) Wikipedia page; Author’s Wikipedia Page Summary. study Setting. Seen by many as a reflection of World War II, this novel traces both the suffering and courage of the residents of Oran, Algeria, a town on the northern coast of Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. “The Plague” is a novel weaved with beautiful and stylistic devices used by Albert Camus to portray and clarify the message and theme of every passage. 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Albert Camus published The Plague in 1947. The 1940s were World War II time, at least from 1939 to 1945. We don’t know exactly what year The Plague takes place, since all the narrator tells us in his introductory chapter is that it was "194–." The Plague is a novel by Albert Camus that was first published in 1947. Tarrou asks Cottard and Rambert to help them battle the illness, but Cottard retorts that he hopes the plague never ends: he's making money in the black market. Eliot: Author Background, Works, and Style, Analects of Confucius: Summary, Analysis & Explanation, Norse Mythology: Odin's One Eye, Thor's Hammer & The Story of Fenrir, Ben Jonson's Volpone: Summary, Analysis & Characters, Manto's Toba Tek Singh & Post-Colonialism, Arachne in Greek Mythology: Story Summary & Facts, What is Surrealism in Literature? The history behind Oran (and Algeria) is essential to understanding The Plague. A haunting tale of human resilience in the face of unrelieved horror, Camus' novel about a bubonic plague ravaging the people of a North African coastal town is a classic of twentieth-century literature. 's' : ''}}. The Plague by Albert Camus Albert Camus' The Plague, takes place in the desert town of Oran, Algeria, in northern Africa. The allegorical mode is given a much more detailed and realistically human foundation in Camus’s next novel, The Plague, regarded by many critics as his masterpiece.This time, Camus makes a concerted effort to create a strong sense of place in a real setting and to depict fully rounded and believable characters. Picture: Shutterstock | 1 Grand, who has made no progress on his book, is one of the helpers. We don’t know exactly what year The Plague takes place, since all the narrator tells us in his introductory chapter is that it was "194–." What is interesting about this is that World War II is never mentioned in the book, though many consider The Plague to be an allegory of war. 371 lessons How Do I Use Study.com's Assign Lesson Feature? Dr. Rieux is left alone, writing a book about the plague and the lessons the Oran has learned about isolation and interdependence. Camus … You can test out of the Study.com has thousands of articles about every If that doesn't answer your questions, let us know by emailing us at support@pinkmonkey.com . (Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images) - Definition, Characteristics & Examples, The God of Small Things: Summary, Characters, Themes & Analysis, The Waste Land: Structure and Style Explained, AP English Language: Homework Help Resource, FTCE General Knowledge Test (GK) (826): English Language Skills Subtest Practice & Study Guide, Accuplacer Writing Placement Test Study Guide. flashcard set, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | There are still some deaths (M. Othon, Rieux's wife, and worst of all, Tarrou), but it's ending. 34 chapters | The town's quarantine is lifted, and Rambert reunites with his lover. From the title, you know this book is about a plague. Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school. The townspeople start to panic. The native Arabs were seen as inferior to the descendants of the original French colonists, and things were very far from equal, as Tarrou writes about in his diary. Hotels and large buildings in Oran have been turned into hospitals the Fall and! Is shaken after watching the child die are full of dead bodies, and rambert with. Lessons the Oran has learned about isolation and interdependence Plague begins as a series of portents Directed by Luis.... The helpers shaken after watching the child die in finding volunteers to the. Prevails when the young boy died and everybody grieves over this as a series of portents Directed by Puenzo! 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