Abstract
This paper examines how "The Plague" follows the life of Dr. Bernard Rieux through a tragic epidemic when a plague hits a town. It looks at how the story is told in the first and third person narrative by Dr. Rieux, the narrator, who tells of his experiences dealing with the plague and of how other people have dealt with the ordeal. It also discusses how the people in the story all cope with the extreme situation in a variety of ways such as denial, anger, bargaining, and finally acceptance to what was happening.

From the Paper
"Cottard breaks into the story by trying to hang himself. Joseph Grand, who lived next door to Cottard, discovered what he tried to do to himself and phoned the doctor. Rieux came over as quick as possible and examined Cottard. After he determined Cottard to be ok they went up to his room apartment. Dr. Rieux noticed something on the door in red chalk which read, "Come in, I've hanged myself" (Camus 18). Right away you get the feeling that Cottard is either trying to escape something or he is trying to plead for help. This all happens before the plague starts and the reader will learn Cottard is all alone, meaning he has somewhat shut himself out from the world, and is afraid of something."

Tags:cottard, death, rats, rieux

Abstract
The paper discusses how there is great similarity in the stories, "Blindness" by Jose Saramago and "The Plague" by Albert Camus, both which deal with different types of plagues. The plague by Camus is similar to the black plague, spread by rats. In "Blindness" the white blindness starts with an unnamed man simply called the motorist who becomes blind driving into town. The paper shows how both books offer character studies of people caught or trapped in a situation from which there seems no escape.

From the Paper
"The children in both Blindness (the little girl) and in the Plague represent innocence caught up in madness. In both stories the madness is caused by a disease but it is the break down of society that is the real story. Without the constraints of society and laws people revert back to their lowest forms, like animals on the hunt for survival. Only the children are innocent and without guile. They are caught in a situation they don't understand. They are the true victims in both stories because there is nothing they can do to help themselves. They can't become a hero like the doctor's wife and the doctor in the Plague. They can't save themselves like Cottard with his evil machinations. They are both left to the vagaries of fate with their only hope in others."

Tags:Bernard, Rieux, Jean, Tarrou, Cottard