We all are passing through the toughest time of CORONA(covid 19) pandemic or epidemic.In this time there are so many questions arise in our mind that
- Why this occur?
- How it is spread in the whole world?
- Why people are dying?
- When will it ends?
Do you have any answer of these questions?No,we haven't.But the problem is that people are living indifferent as nothing is happen.T hey live their life with no change at all.On the other side some are doing their best like doctors,police officers and social workers.They played a vital role in this situation.
The plague vs The Corona
To compare this present situation I would like to discuss the novel The Plague written by Albert Camus, published in 1947.It is a great European novel.This novel tells a story of a plague sweeping the French Algerian city of Oran.In this book he covered the situation when the plague spread the world and how it puts the different effect on people's mind.It ask the number of questions about nature of destiny and human condition.Writer Camus,'nothing more than the French preference on the coast of Algeria.'The inhabitants lead busy money centered denatured lives ,they barely notice that they are alive.Dr.Reiux comes across a dead rat.Then another and another.
Soon the town is overrun with the mysterious death of thousands of rats,who stumble out their hiding places in a daze,let out a drop of blood from their noses and expire.The rats are removed and the town have a sigh of relief.Dr.Reiux suspects that this is not the end.He had read enough about the structure of plague and transmission from animals to humans to know that something is afoot.Soon epidemic siezes Oran.The disease transmitting itself citizen to citizen and spreading panic and horror in every street.Albert Camus says that silent and absurdity are the invisible disease that may kill any of us at any time and destroy the lives we assumed were solid.
Threre are some points on which i can elaborate more.....
(1)Humanity:self-centeredness vs self sacrifice:
The novel throws the light on the people who are very selfish ,they only think about their own self,on the other side there are some people who are living for helps other people.In present time of CORONA epidemic we can see there are people like doctors ,nurses who plays an important role for saving the lives of other people and working for them 24 hour.Albert says that we all are like Ostriches , doesn't take anything seriously .We all are only living for happiness and for earn money.Nothing at all.We can see the result of it at the present time of epidemic.Now only because of our irresponsibility the COVID 19 is out of control.The cases are increasing day by day.We have always seen that the history repeats.But we can see same carelessness in people which we have seen in the past years.In this novel Dr.Bernad Reiux is the example of selflessness.He has sacrificed everything to fight with plague.Camus has given to message to solidarity against absurdity.One character in this novel has commited suicide.Some decides to live in ignorance..(ignorance is blissful).They are ignore the real fact.And thats why we can say that they are much self centered.Father Palenoux is also self centered because he is not doing anything just giving lessons to people about God's punishment.
(2)Science vs Religion:the question of God and religion in times of epidemics and calamities:
Science and religion,both are opposite of each other,in nature and also in tendency.There are many educated people who are thinking scientifically and try to find out the solution of any problem.On the other side there are many people like Father Palenoux who thinks that this is God's punishment of our sin.In this novel we can see the conflict between science and religion when Dr.Rieux and Father Palenoux are face to face.Dr.Reiux don't believe in collective destiny while Palenoux believes in collective destiny and God's punishment.He believes in blind faith that this plague is all about God's punishment for people.
In present time there are still people like Father Paneloux who believes in blind faith that CORONA has something to do with the God's rage.It is one type of punishment for human .On the other side people like Dr.Reiux are working throughout day and night to cure people.Now a days we can see that they are trying to make vaccine.so here what about science??what about doctor's duty??
As it it is said that"literature is the mirror of society,itself reflected society which records in itself the happenings of the world or concerned country.
If we see this narrative as an Archetype of epidemic literature,it has many incidents to look into,how the plague disease getting spread,and how the plot of the novel is gradually developing, from one dead rat to hundreds and ultimately batches of dead rats and an eventual infection on innocent human beings.
The incident of dead rat is interpreted by a variety of people as per their understanding,some says it is done by mischievous youngsters,some says something different,while on other level some are keeping close watch on surrounding happening.
Ultimately how the plague has bid off and the people have again started living their normal life but still fear of infecting is instilled in human minds as well as on Dr.Rieux's mind.
