discussion post on novel Book II of The Plague

I think one change of note that occurs in Oran as the plague really starts to set in is the emotional reactions of the populace. Rambert in particular is the optimal example for this change. Rambert accuses Dr. Rieux of losing his attachment to emotion essentially, by exclaiming, “But, damn it, doctor can’t you see it’s a matter of common human feeling? Or don’t you realize what this sort of separation means to people who are fond of each other?” (Camus, 86). Dr. Rieux, of course, had no choice but to harden his heart to emotional pleas. The human factor is ultimately what makes an epidemic both so tragic and deadly. Logic doesn’t take emotion into consideration, and since we are emotional creatures, in times of crisis the use of logic often seems unfair or uncaring.

            Rambert views his own situation as a novel one, when the fact is many people were experiencing the same sort of situation and emotions that he was. There were other visitors trapped in Oran, missing loved ones they had scarce ability to communicate with. In that situation, it’s most important for the government to take into consideration the ability of spreading something like the plague, or as has been our case in the present time, COVID. People, understandably, want to live their lives. Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible when it comes to an epidemic. I think, in many ways, the officials of Oran show how an epidemic should be handled. I would argue they handled it better than our own government, both federal and state.

            Camus’s point, I think, is to show that everyone has these feelings of separation, of wanting to continue living their lives. Our humanity sometimes pushes us to selfishness, where we think we should be exempt from precautions and protocols. Particularly in our country, where individualism is stressed to the point of being one of the most important qualities a person can have, this leads to dangerous patterns of thought. Sometimes, protecting ourselves and our loved ones means we must, at least temporarily, recognize that we are not the most important person on the planet.