Albert Camus Philosophy in The Plague Essay example -- Albert Camus P

Albert Camus Philosophy in The villainyTo know ourselves pathological is fractional our cure. - Alexander PopeAs the title clearly suggests, the novel The abhorrence is, indeed, a story of disease. On the surface, the novel The Plague, may be an account of facts detailing the outbreak of bubonic plague in the town of Oran. and on a deeper level, it is a novel that reveals awareness and acceptance of the limits of humane existence. And it is also a reminder of our absurd freedom and the choices we make in life, especially when facing death. In writing The Plague we are told that Camus seek to convey ... the feeling of suffocation from which we all suffered and the atmosphere of threat and transportation system in which we lived (Bree, 1964128). He was, of course, speaking of the horrors of World War II. exclusively at the same time he wanted to extend his interpretation to the notion of existence in general (Bree, 1964128). Camus interpretation of existence is revealed in h is philosophical essay The allegory of Sisyphus in which he discusses the absurd and its consequences, revolt, freedom and passion. Some interesting connections tidy sum be made between the philosophical discussion in The story of Sisyphus and the existential themes found in The Plague. In The legend, Camus outlines his notion of the absurd and its consequences in The Plague he brings his philosophy to life. This tale of life and death is told by Dr. Rieux, who maintains that his business is only to say this is what happened, when he knows that it actually did happen, and that it closely impact the life of a whole populace ... (Camus, The Plague, p.7). Of the novel, Germaine Bree says, considered in its totality The Plague transmits a personal experience ... ..., one way or another, and The Plague is a reminder of that absurd fact. The quote at the beginning of this paper, To know ourselves diseased is half our cure has its relevance in the ultimate lesson we learn from The Plague. But there is another lesson to be learned and Camus reminds us of it in The Myth of Sisyphus the point is to live (Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus, p.65). While facing the horrors of death, the characters in The Plague do an excellent job of bringing that philosophical point to life. whole kit and caboodle CitedBree, Germaine. (ed.), Camus Collection of Critical Essays. Prentice-Hall Englewood, NJ. 1962.Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and other essays. New York vintage Books, 1991.Camus, Albert, The Plague. Vintage NY, 1991.Ellison, David R. Understanding Albert Camus. Columbia, SC University of South Carolina Press, 1990.