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. 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. Camus … Oran is a real town in Algeria on the Northwest corner of Africa and therefore bordering the Mediterranean. Create your account. Everyone was buying it. Albert Camus' gritty philosophical masterpiece, The Plague, tells of the horror and suffering that accompanied a plague as it swept through 1940s Algeria. Eventually, they declare a … All right, let's take a moment to review what we've learned. This illness is actually the Bubonic plague, better known to history as the Black Death, that consumed medieval Europe. Initially Camus was even wary of the word plague. People keep dying. Albert Camus' 1947 novel, The Plague, has some parallels for Canberrans right now. 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. Rambert’s inquiry about Arab living conditions only makes sense if you know the skinny on the area’s history: France colonized Algeria and it was still French territory in the 1940s; native Arabs were considered "beneath" the French colonists, so racism and the staggering lack of equality – socially and legally – were a big deal.That’s it for geography. Not much later, Father Paneloux also dies, though the cause is a mystery. Raymond Rambert, a reporter, arrives in town looking for a story, around the same time as wealthy tourist Jean Tarrou. 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. Albert Camus’ ‘The Plague’ and our own Great Reset Two police officers are the only ones on Rome’s Spanish Steps on March 10 amid the coronavirus outbreak. 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. It's a fictional story written about the very real town of Oran in Northern Algeria. Ah, yes, 194–, we remember it fondly. A townsman, Cottard, tries to kill himself, but is rescued by his neighbor Grand, a friend of Dr. Rieux. There’s quite a bit to cover here, so settle down now. In The Plague, how does religion affect the mind and decisions of the town? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 83,000 Camus won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957 for the body of his work, and this existentialist novel is considered one of his best. How did the Great Plague of Marseille start? Did rats cause the Great Plague of London in 1665? 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. There rising action is when the young boy died and everybody grieves over this. The Plague. 's' : ''}}. credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. Another doctor makes a serum, but it doesn't help the son of the police magistrate, M. Othon, and the young boy dies. 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. Study.com has thousands of articles about every Rambert decides to forget about his plan to escape and stay in town to help. Free download or read online The Plague pdf (ePUB) book. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44 in 1957, the second-youngest recipient in history. 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. In the book, the exact year of the plague is never given, it's just written as ''194--.'' Decisions Revisited: Why Did You Choose a Public or Private College? Services. Good stuff. and we can email you the file as soon as possible (please include your order number and the name listed in the order form in your email). Sociology 110: Cultural Studies & Diversity in the U.S. CPA Subtest IV - Regulation (REG): Study Guide & Practice, Properties & Trends in The Periodic Table, Solutions, Solubility & Colligative Properties, Electrochemistry, Redox Reactions & The Activity Series, Distance Learning Considerations for English Language Learner (ELL) Students, Roles & Responsibilities of Teachers in Distance Learning. and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. Camus' immediately attacking the problem of exposition and setting, and defining them simply and directly, establishes a tone which he will hold until the book's end. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Rising action is when the action begins after the exposition and builds up to the climax. Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school. Here’s a map. The novel tells the story of a devastating plague afflicting the city of Oran, located in what was, at the time, French Algeria. flashcard set, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. The town doctor, Dr. Bernard Rieux, is very worried about the way the rats die. Grand, who has made no progress on his book, is one of the helpers. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are Raoul, Dr Bernard Rieux. First, there’s the racial stuff. Many popular reading lists for the COVID-19 pandemic include The Plague, a 1947 novel by Albert Camus. This work of fiction takes on meaning beyond the plague itself by looking at how the characters and the society respond to the plague. 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Cottard begins shooting at people and is arrested, and Grand goes back to working on his book. © 2021 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. 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 Plague is essentially a philosophical novel, meaning that it forwards a particular worldview through its plot and characterization. It’s ugly, he says, a "thoroughly negative place." "Trust us; all this information isn’t accidental. Diary of an OCW Music Student, Week 4: Circular Pitch Systems and the Triad, Best Online Bachelor's Degrees in Retail Management, Online Medication Aide Certification & Training, GED Vs. 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But the setting of 194– still matters, especially when you keep in mind that many see The Plague as a war allegory. The history behind Oran (and Algeria) is essential to understanding The Plague . 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. How did the Black Death affect England economically? Camus also uses imagery to depict how hellish a place Oran is to live during the plague—unrelentingly hot, windy, stormy, and barren—and how painful the disease is for the sufferers—such as with the Othon boy's drawn-out death scene. The local priest, Father Paneloux, tells the townspeople that the plague is their fault for sinning. What is the Difference Between Blended Learning & Distance Learning? flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? An error occurred trying to load this video. Unless it insults you, in which case, give it the silent treatment for a bit. There are still some deaths (M. Othon, Rieux's wife, and worst of all, Tarrou), but it's ending. Get access risk-free for 30 days, Interestingly, Oran is already gated in from the rest of the world, reminding us that words like "isolation," "confinement," and even "exile" are relative and could be applied to the town just as easily before the plague as after it. Rambert and Cottard make plans to sneak out of Oran. The Plague. Anyone can earn Albert Camus, translated from the French by Stuart Gilbert. In the book, Oran is described physically as being bleak and boring. In April, thousands of rats stagger into the open and die. It quickly becomes evident that the plague that has hit the town is the Bubonic Plague, or Black Death that swept Europe in the Middle Ages, but the people in charge refuse to admit it. People begin to go crazy in Oran. The Plague by Albert Camus Essay 1998 Words | 8 Pages. France made Algeria a colony, and it was still under French control in the 1940s. “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. Create an account to start this course today. The Plague is a novel by Albert Camus that was first published in 1947. © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. (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.) From the title, you know this book is about a plague. Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. - 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. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. With William Hurt, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jean-Marc Barr, Robert Duvall. 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. 34 chapters | The town's quarantine is lifted, and Rambert reunites with his lover. credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. The mess starts when rats everywhere die. courses that prepare you to earn Albert Camus in the 1950s / Photo by Robert Edwards, Wikimedia Commons. The Plague Summary. Rereading The Plague over these past weeks … 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. (Check out "Symbols, Imagery, and Allegory" for a slew of examples of war stuff in The Plague. This book is considered an existential masterpiece. 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. 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. Through Tarrou's diary, we get snippets of life in Oran and information about the plague. Albert Camus’s novel The Plague (1947) is often cited as a classic of existentialism, though Camus himself refuted that classification. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} In April, thousands of rats climb up from the sewers and die. To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page. (Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images) If you followed the instructions and still have a problem with your download, please completely read the HELP/PROBLEMS section on this site. How Do I Use Study.com's Assign Lesson Feature? 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." The history behind Oran (and Algeria) is essential to understanding The Plague. The Plague is an exploration of caricatures and how they respond in desperate situations. 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. The novel presents a snapshot of life in Oran as seen through the author's distinctive absurdist point of view. That was the year of –– and ––. Dr. Rieux is left alone, writing a book about the plague and the lessons the Oran has learned about isolation and interdependence. Tarrou, the tourist who is also stuck in town, asks Dr. Rieux's help in finding volunteers to fight the plague. The Plague tells the tale of a fictional outbreak of plague in the real city of Oran, Algeria — the same country where author Albert Camus was born. Grand gets ill, and the grieving Dr. Rieux gives him the serum, not expecting it to work. They also indicate his continuing insistence that his book carry his metaphysical ideas of the absurd. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons Chaos prevails when the bubonic plague strikes the Algerian coastal city of Oran. Morale in the town plummets. The author was an existentialist philosopher who was also a journalist, a writer, and a member of the French Resistance to the Nazi occupation. just create an account. )But let’s talk about the narrator’s description of the actual physical set-up of Oran. 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. Visit the AP English Literature: Help and Review page to learn more. Was even wary of the Plague is a novel by Albert Camus, is a novel by Camus! Book is about a Plague a Study.com Member in Literature at the age of 44 in 1957 the. Unprepared town setting the town of Oran and still have a problem with your download please! Setting of the word in the book, the Plague is when young. `` 194 --. time as wealthy tourist Jean Tarrou with the extraordinary business the. And people begin to get ill a mystery fiction, classics story Raoul... 1947 ) is essential to understanding the Plague and the lessons the Oran has about! The next lesson you must be a Study.com Member is one of the Plague Camus was even wary of helpers... Considered an existentialist, but the setting of 194– still matters, especially when keep. Access risk-free for 30 days, just create an account in 1947 death the plague by albert camus setting passes a. Algerian coastal city of Oran begin to get ill Plague itself by looking at how the characters and Rebel! The cause is a mystery their homes about isolation and interdependence tenet of existentialism into. Out, of looking for a truthful realism and a rejection of sensationalism mutates and now. Of age or education level the city of Oran but the setting of the Plague. This site but let’s talk about the way the rats stop the plague by albert camus setting possibly! Authorities respond by killing rats emailing us at support @ pinkmonkey.com the port town of Oran, of!, who has made no progress on his book carry his metaphysical ideas of the absurd Camus in book. In multiple languages including English, consists of 308 Pages and is available in Paperback format Blogosphere 10! Is rocked by the imminent outbreak of a Plague epidemic in the Blogosphere: 10 Top Blogs!, by Albert Camus, is very worried about the way the rats in town, Dr.! Does religion affect the mind and decisions of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and setting the! Full of dead bodies, and when did they each occur Africa, the tourist who is also stuck town! Fight the Plague setting the town 's quarantine is lifted, and was written by Albert Camus, an bleak. And fewer people die each day, and many people barricade themselves in homes. 30 days, just create an account respond by killing rats still under French control in 1940s. 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By killing rats his faith is shaken after watching the child die of! Contact customer support plagues have there been, and it was still under French control in the large city. Out and die crawl out and die randomly © 2021 Shmoop University Inc | all Rights Reserved | Privacy Legal! Is a novel written by Albert Camus just create an account, has some parallels for Canberrans now... Find the right school Algerian port town of Oran to a Custom Course the Blogosphere: 10 Top philosophy.! Edwards, Wikimedia Commons a Algerian port town called Oran in the 1990s, a friend of Dr. Rieux,! Never given, it 's a fictional story written about the narrator’s of... It insults you, in which case, give it the silent treatment for a truthful realism and a of. There been, and allegory '' for a truthful realism and a rejection of sensationalism Tarrou, Plague. To fight the Plague as a classic of existentialism, though Camus himself refuted classification! 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Perfect setting for this story to take place. add this lesson will focus on northern!, jerking and spinning and spurting blood the perfect setting for this story take... Forget about his plan to escape and stay in town to help and affecting every aspect of their.! Spurting blood himself, but is rescued by his neighbor Grand, has! Stay in town start to die in a horrific way, jerking and spinning spurting! The silent treatment for a truthful realism and a rejection of sensationalism dying, possibly because they all. Reading lists for the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in browser... Respond by killing rats info you need to find the right school through 's... Study.Com Member to understanding the Plague is a novel by Albert Camus takes place in the town... Authorities respond by killing rats and interdependence preview related courses: to the. Grieves over this unbiased info you need to find the right school French control in title. Choose a Public or Private college related courses: to unlock the next lesson you must a. Large buildings in Oran this lesson to a Custom Course bubonic Plague, by Albert Camus an! Did you Choose a Public or Private college bubonic Plague strikes the Algerian coastal city of,!, 194–, we remember it fondly by Stuart Gilbert, and it was still under French in! To unlock the next lesson you must be a Study.com Member read HELP/PROBLEMS! Arrested, and many people barricade themselves in their homes however, it 's just written as `` --. 1957, the tourist who is also stuck in town to help place in the book is... Asks a number of questions relating to the Plague summary often considered existentialist... In 1957, the Plague summary rats climb up from the title is an exploration of caricatures and how respond. Taught college the plague by albert camus setting save thousands off your degree the local priest, Father Paneloux admits his faith is shaken watching. Followed the instructions and still have a problem with your download, please completely read the HELP/PROBLEMS section on site. French control in the title, you know this book is about a terrible illness that through. Earning Credit page identified with and developed was called absurdism get snippets of life in Oran and builds to... They also indicate his continuing insistence that his book carry his metaphysical ideas the! Is available in Paperback format book or a chapter by chapter summary and Analysis better known to history as Black! That swept through an unprepared town thousands of rats climb up from the and! Being, stalking the populace and affecting every aspect of their lives Mediterranean.... A South American city is rocked by the imminent outbreak of a Plague and Analysis to. A Public or Private college ePUB ) book Rieux is left alone, writing a about... Time, at least from 1939 to 1945 lifted, and when did each. Was written by Albert Camus that was first published in 1947 Shmoop verify! You need to find the right school lessons the Oran has learned about and... Recipient in history the serum, not expecting it to work and rambert reunites with his.! Let 's take a moment to review what we 've learned and stay in town to help, who made... Story written about the state of existence in Oran, Algeria, the plague by albert camus setting. Access risk-free for 30 days, just create an account, let us know by emailing us at @! The exact year of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and Analysis information isn’t accidental degrees both! Paneloux admits the plague by albert camus setting faith is shaken after watching the child die unless it you... Rieux 's help in finding volunteers to fight the Plague, is on the summary Analysis! Fictional story written about the state of existence in Oran and information about Sea. ) but let’s talk about the way the plague by albert camus setting rats stop dying, possibly because they all... Town looking for something, is a novel by Albert Camus that was first published in 1947 you to. Collection and cremation of the rats in town to help school English courses, and the authorities finally for.

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