Some thoughts on "The Plague" by Albert Camus

Reading "The Plague" by Albert Camus as we (hopefully) begin to emerge from a global pandemic is certainly a unique experience. The book was written in 1947 and--on its surface, at least--is about an outbreak of the bubonic plague in the Algerian town of Oran. The plot is centred around a doctor, Rieux, and his colleagues and friends as they attempt to combat the epidemic. More broadly, the book follows the town and its people as they deal with the sickness, death and isolation inflicted on them by the sickness and the resulting quarantine of the town.

The plague is widely considered to have been used by Camus as a metaphor for the occupation of France by the Germans during World War II. So, arguably, the book is not about an epidemic at all. However, reading the book in 2021, it is difficult to ignore the parallels between the experience of the people of Oran and that of people everywhere over the last year. Below I have written down some thoughts that struck me as I read the book, specifically in the context of our experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. Obviously, this post contains spoilers for "The Plague". Also, I should mention that, when I speak about the negative impacts of lockdowns and restrictions on individuals and societies, I do not intend to criticise the underlying policies, which in most cases were necessary. Camus did not discuss the politics of the epidemic and I am not interesting in doing so either.

Isolation

Isolation and exile are dominant themes in the book. Oran is completely quarantined as a result of the plague, with no one allowed to enter or leave, resulting in many people being separated from loved ones. Communication with those beyond the town walls is possible only via the painfully slow and somewhat unreliable telegram. Camus discusses this separation and its implications in much more detail than the plague's other effects, such as the sickness, death and economic hardship inflicted on the town.

Camus' focus on exile is interesting because one obvious and significant difference between now and then is that the world today is so much more connected via the internet. The experience described by Camus of not being able to communicate with your loved ones, and not even knowing if they are safe and healthy, is thankfully one which most of us were spared. And yet, isolation was still a very common complaint during lockdown. The two worlds are different but the struggles are the same.

I think there are two reasons why humans felt so isolated during the pandemic in spite of our connectedness. First, the demographic most in need of physical isolation--the elderly demographic--was also the one least acquainted with these new means of connection. Second, the younger generations, while more comfortable communicating remotely, are also, arguably, the ones who most crave frequent and varied *physical* interactions. Closing colleges, restaurants and bars created a void that online interaction could not fill. By contrast, the cafés and bars of Oran apparently remained open and full throughout the epidemic, and the people of the town would congregate every night as a way of dealing with the hardship of the town's isolation. In this regard, their situation was almost a mirror image of ours. They were completely separated from their loved ones outside the town but were able to mingle with their fellow townspeople. We were unable to be close to our neighbours, but could connect with friends and relatives on the other side of the world. Who was more isolated?

A different aspect of the isolation caused by the plague can be seen through the arc of the character Rambert, a journalist from out of town who becomes trapped in Oran when the quarantine is imposed. At first, Rambert tries desperately to escape the town, first by legal and then by illegal means. His view is that he is not one of the townspeople, he does not belong in the town and, ultimately, the plague is not his problem. He is isolated from his love and that is all that matters to him. But over time, Rambert begins to feel closer to the town and its people, and particularly to the other protagonists such as Rieux (whose wife is also out of town). Eventually, Rambert is given an opportunity to escape but he declines, volunteering to stay in the town and help fight the plague. In doing so, he states that he no longer feels like a stranger to the town. It is a story of people united by common hardship. Isolation itself acts as a foundation for the bond between Rambert and Oran, and between Rambert and Rieux.

Abstraction and exception

Early in the book, Rambert is aggrieved when Rieux refuses to provide him with a certificate stating that he is plague-free, so that he might try and leave the town. Rieux says that while he wishes for Rambert to be reunited with his love, there are rules and regulations to be followed, and there are thousands of men in the same situation as Rambert. Rambert feels that this focus on reason and "abstraction" is cruel. It is an interesting discussion on the necessity, in times of crisis, of strict rules which are applied consistently, even if the outcomes can sometimes seem harsh in individual cases. The discussion has a very clear relevance to the lockdowns and other restrictions of the last year, which have been imposed in order to protect society from Covid-19 but have at times become controversial due to the perceived harshness or unfairness of their effects.

Rieux seems to win the argument. Rambert eventually comes around to his way of seeing things, and throughout the book, the town's response to the plague is characterised by the rigid and tireless application of rules and procedures. However, towards the end, Tarrou (another protagonist and friend of Rieux) falls ill, seemingly with the plague. Rieux injects him with the serum, but--contrary to his established practice--does not order the isolation of Tarrou, instead insisting that Rieux and his mother will take care of the patient. It is an interesting departure from the "abstraction" that has characterised Rieux's approach to patients for most of the book. This takes place at a time when the plague is on the decline in Oran, which may lend some justification Rieux's actions. However, it could be seen as evidence of hypocrisy--or, perhaps, just humanity.

Complacency

The people of Oran were caught completely off-guard by the arrival of the plague, and clearly the world was similarly unprepared for the Covid-19 pandemic. Early in the book, Camus states that plagues and wars always find people equally unprepared. The occupation of France in World War II likely came as a surprise to its victims, just as the pandemic came as a surprise to us, but possibly for different reasons: the French had relatively recent experience of another world war, and may have thought that another conflict was unlikely so soon, whereas in 2020 our complacency stemmed from the fact that the world had not witnessed a pandemic of this magnitude for over 100 years.

One aspect of the town's complacency in "The Plague" was a reluctance to believe that the plague was present in the town, even when the evidence pointed to it. This seems prescient. Not only did societies tend to react very slowly to the initial spread of Covid-19, but even a year into the pandemic there are some who refuse to accept its existence.

Camus returns to the theme of complacency at the very end of the book. The plague has been "defeated", Oran is re-opened and the townspeople are understandably celebrating. But Rieux "recalled that this joy was always under threat", as the plague never truly vanishes but rather can remain dormant for many years before returning to wreak havoc on a city. It is a particularly interesting and instructive observation at this point in time, as societies begin to celebrate re-opening for hopefully the last time. How long will it take us to forget the threat of a highly contagious and harmful disease infiltrating our society? And if (when?) it does happen again, will we be quicker to recognise it and react? If Camus were alive today, I don't think he would be optimistic that we will be any better prepared when the time comes. But I think he would be optimistic about our ability to survive it with our humanity intact.

Some thoughts on "The Plague" by Albert Camus was published on 2021-06-02

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