"The Plague"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the main theme of the book - absurd heroism. The paper describes Albert Camus' thorough manner of writing and shows how he illustrates the true nature of a conscious, aware mind, and how much more constructive it may be than a mind that turns to God or to other illusions as a quick fix or lasting answer to our problems.

From the Paper:

"In general, the population of Oran eventually became so busy organizing and dealing with the details of death, they too became "absurd" heroes. "So much energy was expended on filling up forms, hunting round for supplies, and lining up that people had no time to think of the manner in which others were dying around them and they themselves would die one day. Thus the growing complications of our everyday life, which might have been an affliction, proved to be a blessing in disguise" (Camus 158). Eventually their grief and pain turned to memories, and eventually the memories faded, as well, and the people "adapted themselves to the situation because there was no way of doing otherwise" (Camus 164)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Camus, Albert. The Plague (translated by Stuart Gilbert) Random House, New York: 1948.
• Johnson, Joan M. F. Albert Camus: The Plague and The Fall http://www.wetzoollamb.net/jfpp/joan/essays/camus.html. December 11, 2005.
• Judt, Tony. "A hero for our times" The Guardian Unlimited. United Kingdom: November, 2001.

More papers on "The Plague":

• Comparison Essay # 7673 : "Blindness" and "The Plague"
• Analytical Essay # 62845 : "The Plague"
• Analytical Essay # 47246 : "The Plague"
• Book Review # 75642 : "Romanticism in 'The Plague'"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: