Comments

• Kelsey

  Grand is completly obsessed with perfect words, but it seems that no matter how hard he tries or how long he spends on each word or phrase, he can never possibly find the absolute word to get across what he is trying to say. Camus brings this up on page 127. "[H]e knew the sympathy was genuine enough. But it could be expressed only in the conventional language with which men try to express what unites them with mankind... a vocabulary quite unsuited... to Grand's small daily effort..."

  3/9/2009 3:07:06 PM
• Sam

  The more Rieux does his job, the more hardened he becomes to the outside world. It's almost necessary to a point, as we can see that the town is slowly moving towards greater unrest, and people are attempting to leave. I'm not sure if Rieux can hold out forever, even with his passive demeanor.

  3/9/2009 11:54:37 PM
• Anna (the coolest!)

  I, personally, am amazed by Rieux. But maybe all of us have the same stuff inside, the stuff that makes us keep working, going, past what we thought were our emotional/physical limits. Not only does Rieux get less than a little sleep but he is doing an emotionally draining job, almost round the clock. I am impressed, but I guess you could say it's a little creepy. They way we, humans can, when necessity calls, become robots.

  3/10/2009 12:48:42 PM
• Taylor

  I want to comment on the qoute "Calamity has come upon you, my brethren,and my brethren, you deserved it." I find this qoute very intersting because Father Paneloux has basically told the people of Oran that this plague has come about because of their sins. The method in which Father Paneloux is using was very popular in the Catholic Church at one time. This method is where the Priest talks about Hell and Damnation, where if you sin you will not be forgiven!
  
  Father Paneloux also eludes to the fact that the plague has been sent to them because the people of Oran are God's enemies. "The first time this scourge appears in history, it was wielded to strike down the enemies of God" (87). This is the reasoning that Paneloux gives. He then continues this theme of the people not being favorved by God by talking about the people's worship of God. On page 89 Paneloux says "' yes, the hour has come for serious thought. You foundly imagined it was enough to visit God on Sundays, and thus you could make free of your weekdays." He then accusses the people that they think that they can come to Mass on Sunday and not have to worry about God the rest of the week but, Father Paneloux says that they are wrong and this is another reason for the plague. He then goes on to say, "you believed some brief formalities, some bendings of the knee, woulld recompense Him well enough for your criminal indifference" (89). Again, he is drving home the point that they are all sinners for not paying attention to God all of the time and therefore he is punishing them! Father Paneloux gives the people something to think about and makes them feel terrible for not giving God the attention he needs!

  3/10/2009 8:04:14 PM
• Brie

  Okay I think that Rieux has every right to refuse to help Rambert try and leave the town because he has the most level head of anybody and makes the most rational decisions. I also think that Rieux does not have the ability because at that time they have no knowledge of the symptoms of a person before they get the Plague; therefore he wouldn't know if Rambert were to be infected. This level head though is not all good, it causes Rieux to become almost heartless and, as Anna said, robotic. He starts to get shaky and becomes cold and monotonic doing anything because 95% of his day is dedicated to treating victims, it's all he thinks about.

  3/10/2009 9:16:21 PM
• Sarah

  I totally agree with Brie. I think that Rieux's dismissal of Rambert's plight was a necessary and cautious move that he needed to make. At the same time, I think that Rieux was consciously trying to disconnect from Rambert's situation with his mistress because it brings to mind his own wife, whom he had luckily sent away but may never see again. Their relationship is one of interest for me because When they were together their interactions seemed extreamely cordial and formal. I think that he cares about her and is glad that she is gone for this time, but perhaps he feels guilt for not longing for her in her absence? could this be why he distracts himself so thoroughly with his work?

  3/11/2009 11:25:47 PM
• Kyle

  It is not because of Rieux's level head, or his right to refuse anyone anything, that he will not help Rambert. It is instead Rieux's belief in personal choice and responsibility to help "better" the world. Helping Rambert leave the town would not help Rieux reach his goal of bettering the society, because although Rambert did not show symptoms of the plague, the disease has the possibility to lie dormant for decades and then rise to infection. So Rambert could theoretically be infected and not know until it was too late and he had infected others outside of the town.

  3/13/2009 3:46:14 PM
• Sarah

  I understand that philosophy, but how does the earlier (and possibly continuos) theme of existentialism play into this overpowering goal to aid all society? how do these conflicting drives in Rieux resolve themselves inside of him? what is his motivation to help if he doesn't believe that help is possible?

  3/17/2009 4:20:42 PM
• Patrice

  Rieux's refusal to comply with Rambert's wish is understandable to me, but only to an extent. I agree with Brie in that at this point there is no way of knowing whether or not Rambert is displaying symptoms of the plague and therefore Rambert should be kept in quarantine the same as everyone else. I also completely understand Rieux's statement that, "there are things that my official position debars me from doing," (pg. 80). It is understandable that he feels a responsibility to uphold current restrictions especially seeing as he was responsible for communicating the urgency of putting these restrictions in place. However I cannot understand why Rieux would not help Rambert at a later time once he knew enough about the condition to say that Rambert had not been infected. After all, what would be the difference between allowing an uninfected man's release before or after restrictions were lifted? In fact helping Rambert escape at this point might potentially save a life as he would be able to escape the chance of infection and be reunited with his mistress.

  3/18/2009 2:05:07 PM
• Anna (the coolest!)

  I don't know, personally I feel that Rieux is the model of indifference. He will not help Rambert nor will he try to get in his way. I would agree with you Kyle, that he is trying to do the right thing by not helping Rambert leave, but then he does not impede his proposed leaving so... the logic would be that he is then doing the wrong thing. How can he do both? How can he do both the wrong and the right? By being absolutely indifferent.

  3/25/2009 12:27:40 PM
• Anna (the coolest!)

  Also, I think if I were Rieux I would find the correct thing to be not indifference, but in making sure that Rambert does not leave. As a doctor, as an official trying to keep this plague in check, I would have no one risk making all of our efforts obsolete. Just one escapee and the death toll could be horrific. I'm also surprised that Rambert chose to confide in Rieux; wouldn't he have believed Rieux, an important doctor, to be of the mindset I previously described?

  3/25/2009 12:30:31 PM