The Plague – Albert Camus, Epidemic Phenomenon in Fiction

            The Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020 is an unimaginable crisis for people around the world. The status for this virus has already declared as a pandemic by WHO, which means the virus has spread over the countries. In the middle of its existent, this pandemic has been aligned with some fictions that represent similarity with recent situation. For example, a film Contagion released in 2011, describe a story about a deadly virus outbreak in one of China’s city. Nevertheless, long time before, stories about virus outbreak can be found in literature writings. From France for instance, Albert Camus has La Peste or The Plague. In the literature history of France, Camus who was born in Algeria recorded as one of writer and philosopher in the 20^th century. In 1957, Camus won Nobel Prize for literature category thanks to his novel La Peste, which released in 1947.

         The Plague speaks about the condition in a modern-life city, Oran, Algeria. This city is quarantined during the plague outbreak. It narrated by one main character, a doctor named Bernard Rieux. Other characters in this novel are Tarrou, a visitor, writer and the chief of volunteer during epidemic; Grand, an employee in mayor office; Rambert, a journalist from Paris; Cottard, a former prisoner; Pope Paneloux, and the rest of Oran’s citizens.

            The plague epidemic started in April, at that time a strange thing happened, thousand rats died around the city. Along with that, people started to have a disease with symptoms such as cold, flu, short breath, convulsions, and swollen lymph grand. In the time the death cases ‘caused by the disease increase and the vaccine came from Paris didn’t give an effect, the government decided to close the city.

            While Oran was in lock down, various humanity parades showed. People have been separated from the world, trades and tourism stopped, tourists were trying to quit the city illegally, most offices closed, the goods shortage , the inequality between the rich and the poor. The increasing cases and deaths made the citizens frightened and abandoned. Also, the speech gave by Pope Paneloux has provoked people by saying that this epidemic is a punishment from God and people should ask for forgiveness.

            Meanwhile, during epidemic, some positive things happened, such as the volunteer program initiated by Tarrou. This group had many tasks; they were educating the citizens about health, cleaning the water tower and roads with disinfectant, recording deaths numbers, driving ambulance for securing the ill one or sending the bodies to their graves, as well helping the doctors.

            The plague dominated the city ‘till early autumn, this disease has already evolve and attacked the lungs. At that time, the funeral has fully loaded and to solve the crisis, the governments buried the bodies in a particular place. In other side, doctors kept developing a vaccine, the vaccine was tested for couple of times though it was failed and made others suffered. Nevertheless, in December, many people got infected and show a recovery in their cases. In January, the vaccine has successfully cured the citizens and more people recover from the disease. Finally, in February, the governments decided to open the city and have declared that the plague has gone. All citizens celebrated it and they met again with their family and their love ones, especially from outside Oran.

            Through this novel, frankly Camus had an analogy by comparing the plague with France situation when Nazis or Germany occupied the country during World War II.  However, if La Peste being interpreted as its literal meaning, the epidemic happened in this novel reveal the humanity sides from people who are trapped amid the contagious disease. Within its main character, doctor Rieux for example, through novel, he isn’t described as a hero, he simply doing his tasks as a doctor professionally. Even when the plague reaches its peak, Rieux didn't fulfilling his duty for saving lives; he only attempted to separate the infected from the health one. Rieux thinks that his world and the plague is an absurd world, it means the contradiction of happiness. In order to fight the absurd world, we must be the absurdity itself. Sometimes, the absurd world is stronger than the happiness itself and we should accept it.

            Then, some characters represent various humans’ comportment confront the epidemic and how they learn from that situation.  For instance Tarrou, a writer and an observer who take in charge as an initiator of volunteer group also having discussion with Rieux and the local government related the plague measurement. Rambert, a journalist from Paris who is trapped in the city. He kept trying to quit because he felt that he is separated by happiness and couldn’t met his wife. But during his trial, he knew Rieux who has a contradict thought as his. In the end, he stayed in Oran and being a volunteer during quarantine ‘till the plague over. Grand, an ordinary employee who done his tasks wholeheartedly. Cottard, a former prisoner who was feeling free during epidemic, because he should be in prison if there were no outbreak. Pope Paneloux, the one that gave a speech about the God punishment as the cause of the plague, he had another point of view in his second speech. He admitted that religion in the time of epidemic couldn’t be compared as the normal time; he encouraged the congregation to fight the plague simultaneously.

            Alike the characters mentioned above, generally, the citizens of Oran suffered a psychological trigger for months caused by fear, depression, abandonment and disconnection. Simply, Camus said the plague initially means recklessness and separation. Those two things are got rid of human’s normal life. Though, in the end, they will surely find happiness. In last paragraph, Camus stated by the plague gone, it’s not the end actually. The basil of the disease will remain in cupboards, clothes, or objects in human’s daily life, and a couple of decades later, it will return in a peaceful city to give some lessons for human-being.

           As a chronic story, The Plague is a general picture of human’s vulnerability. We are vulnerable to exclusion and to death threat in any circumstances. Contextually, this novel displays a format or particular pattern. It indicates what will always happen once epidemic infect mankind in a generous amount. The difference is how human-being will respond and act. Mostly, how they will anticipate an upcoming epidemic in the near future.