I find the contrast of these two books very interesting.

In fact I feel as though trying to move it beyond what the story is about, to try and focus it on the here and now, takes away from the message of what it was then and there.

However the experience and reactions of the people in the book, from the priest to the doctor, I do see as base human reactions that we can look at in the modern world and just to judge off of in the speculative front.

If a modern plague were to ravage a small town, would we act the same way if it was just as vicious or disruptive after not much time? If a brand new flu came about and Essex, Connecticut had to be cut off from the rest of the U.S.A. due to this deadly mutation of the bird flu that affected humans, would we see a Castel?

A plague is a part of nature, it will act of it’s own violation.
War will act in a similar fashion, but to our horror, we will see our actions change the war, as it will hardly be affected in the way we want or in the speed we wish.

Rieux had to see his wife off to a sanatorium ( I guess she had TB); he felt helpless and perhaps some guilt for not looking after her better. The saying that Dr’s care for their own family last comes to mind. I think there would have been separation regardless of the plague. He had his rounds and responsibilities, and she would be away in the fresh air of the mountains. They would start again when she got back. There was a tenderness and love between them.

Women do not play important roles in this story. When Rambert was reunited with his love I imagined some stunning film star for the movie version. The women are very thinly or sparsely characterized-perhaps to not leave them out altogether. But note they are essential to happiness.

Good point.

There’s the important fact of Rieux’s wife dying during the plague, but while exiled from it; she’s dead, but it’s not the plague’s fault (or is it, because the plague separated her from Rieux?).

And, speaking of women and Rieux:

There’s the character of Rieux’s mother. She’s a fascinating one. I didn’t quite get my head around her, though.

I said, “Fitz, that’s the plague, man!”

But isn’t it? For that (40something) gentleman and his family, he fell victim to the worst plague in history…his own.

I said “Fitz, that’s what Camus was getting at, death is around every corner, so live your life accordingly.”

We don’t need any dead rats to tell us we might close our eyes tonight for the last time.

I think I’m gonna to hug someone today…

On finding ways to help oneself get through: in the passage about the people quarantined in the stadium, it was mentioned that they do nothing all day. I found myself thinking, “Why doesn’t somebody start a choir? Or get them all to write a story together?” The answer, of course, is despair. And I’m in my comfy sofa reading a book with grand thoughts of what could be done. How can I know what I what would do were I in the same predicament? Then, I wondered, “How the did the Katrina evacuees occupy themselves when they were in the stadium?” Funny how different bits of the story bring my mind directly to details of different pestilences…..

The plague of Oran and the Iraq war both have stolen attention and focus… the plague though stole to a much greater degree because the people could not turn away as time wore on. We can turn away longer. But both imprison. For us, the imprisonment is indirect more remote, but the effects to come for years.

I loved Grand’s obsession with words. This artisitic problem helped him though.

quote:

“the habit of despair is worse than the despair itself”

An open source approach to fixing public media funding

Christopher Lydon’s RadioOpenSource is one of the best programs on radio. It’s not about [...]

Now that I am done with the book- I’ll listen.

The translation was not half bad (ie good) either by Stuart Gilbert for Modern Library college editions

As for the show itself: I liked the point that was raised about the novel being funny. I agree that it is, and I think that aspect of Camus is often glossed over. Might it suggest that comedy is a worthwhile lens through which to view serious events?

The Daily Show, The Colbert Report…

Will it take global warming? Is that the plague that will unite us all, finally? Or will those in the climactic safe zones abandon those who are likely to perish? Will we simply see a new power structure where those more inland or closer to the Poles hunker down and self-protect?

How many metaphorical rats will have to die before we enter a state of emergency?

“Common decency,” which Chris mentioned as well in his lead-in above, is a fascinating concept. Personally, I hear it chime in the earnest “thank yous” exchanged between strangers on the street, after some random altruistic act.

And I really appreciated Jim Fitzmorris making the connections between all the atrocities; it’s a perpetual pestilecnce we are fighting.

I think that most of the citizens of the US, and likely, Iraq, feel like they are victims of something that has befallen on them out of nowhere.

nother, Camus would not be the first to posit that you can only find yourself through service to others. I try to teach my daughter this and how challenging it is to balance meeting your own needs so that you can best serve others.

I take it that Camus is telling us we will only find ourselves…when we give ourselves to the service of others.

Is this not somewhat like our interest in our own soldiers, counting Iraq/Afghanistan casualties in U.S./Canadian terms, and failing to mention, in proportion, the greater numbers of other casualties?

I believe Camus answers that question through Rieux: “It’s a matter of common decency. That’s an idea which may make some people smile, but the only means of fighting a plague is – common decency.”

In incidental Iraqi connection: I heard Navy surgeon Richard Jadick on “Fresh Air” talk about the worst wounds he had to deal with in Fallujah. He said they were wounds to the groin, as the groin was not protected.

In “The Plague,” Camus writes about the worst symptoms being the grotesque inflammation of the groin.