Camus in the Book the

Camus In the book The Plague by Albert Camus, the narrator calls Joseph Grand, a lowly clerk in the municipal office, a "hero," because he has the ability to quietly endure. The Plague takes place in the town of Oran during the 1940s. In Camus' world, Europe and the United States have fought a plague of its own by the name of Adolf Hitler.

Is it true that gentle, caring people such as Grand are the right antidote to such disease in life? In the city of Oran, before the real plague arrives, the people are actually plagued by another disease -- boredom and complacency. Individuals are sleepwalking from day-to-day like machines. Even love is taken for granted and married life is commonplace in its "mild habit of conjugality." Once the "real" plague arrives, there are several characters who Camus offers as the best possible choice to handle such a disaster.

These consist of Rieux, the doctor who sees almost at once that Oran has been invaded by the plague and tries to convince others to face the reality of their situation.

Tarrou, a mystery man who appears pleased that the city offers so little; Grand, who may be kind, yet cannot even express himself with more than one sentence and does not have a good track record in relationships; Cottard, a criminal who unsuccessfully tries to commit suicide; Rambert, a French journalist who cannot leave Oran because of the plague; and Paneloux, a scholar-priest who uses religion as the reason for such turmoil.

Of these individuals, the narrator finds Grand the best person to handle the evil that has victimized the town and all of society. He is the one who will rid the world of violence and restore a spirit of humanity. He is the one who is best able to deal with the suffering around him and within him. It is true that Grand on the whole is the most loving and caring individual.

However, does this make him best with coping and helping others? As is seen in his past life, rather than finding the strength and self-esteem within himself to communicate his love and not be afraid to show who he truly was, he instead refused to rock the boat, accepted how others saw him and expected him to act. It is true that Grand changes over the book. He finds within himself the words to express himself and knows how he would act differently given the chance.

He is redeemed at the end when he overcomes illness. However, it appears that the individuals who are the greatest heroes in real life are those who change the most when confronted with adversity. This is because they are the ones who will help others change. They can be role models and encourage people to find something deep within themselves to deal with suffering, find love or destroy evil.

Change agents are the ones who can motivate people to fight against the Hitlers and not be afraid of change inside or the world around them. Who is this person who changes the most? As noted, Grand transformd, but not to an extreme. Nor is it Rieux who is always willing to help others, Paneloux who does not actually alter his religious convictions, or even Cottard who changes for a while. Overall, it is Rambert who undergoes the.