Take A Break /////// Isabelle Ferguson

     I finally found it. I hope I'm reading this correctly, because I believe there is a brief break in the constant tension that is The Plague. This whole work has an unsettling undertone of death and anxiety, which is expected what with existentialism and its many optimistic qualities. It seems like the characters are always in some sort of action, be it physical or mental. If they aren't treating or cleaning up a patient, the characters are wrestling mentally with what they are going through. For example, Rieux's struggle to write to his dying wife is a stressful read. Reading Camus is like running a marathon: the stress is physically and mentally exhausting. However, there is finally a moment of anxious peace in Part Four, when Rieux and Tarrou leave the asthma patient. Tarrou's moment of vulnerability and Rieux affirming that they are indeed friends is refreshing in such a sad book. I feel like their moment of peace while swimming in the ocean is symbolic of their struggle throughout the entire story. In this moment, they aren't treading water or fighting waves; they're floating peacefully and enjoying the night sky. 

    I sincerely hope everyone had a moment like this during their quarantine experience. When you're in a pandemic, it's easy to get swept up in the stress of knowing death is right at your front door. You have the option of chewing your nails off in front of the TV while watching the Covid numbers rise on your local news channel. You also have the option to shut off the TV and learn how to make a braided loaf of bread. You're never unaware of the crisis outside, but you choose to take advantage of a momentary lapse from reality. Rieux and Tarrou created their own moment of peace. Of course, they knew that it was temporary, but that didn't stop them from seizing something to ease their minds. I'm glad Camus included this in the story.


P.S. I commented on Raygan's and Emory's posts.

Comments

  1. Ashlyn ScismFebruary 21, 2022 at 10:22 PM

    I like your post. It does seem like this beach scene is the first moment of real peace the main character has gotten since the start of the plague. Rest is so important, especially in times of extreme stress. When we focus on nothing but the stressors and suffering around us it leads to feelings of despair and hopelessness.

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  2. Raygan BosterFebruary 22, 2022 at 7:44 AM

    This is so true. When they are just floating and actively swimming, I think it could reflect how they are handling the plague inside the walls. They are just trying to stay afloat. It says previously that the numbers were not rising or falling, and that the plague seemed to be "settling in". So I think the picture of these two floating in the water is a perfect image of life inside the walls.

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  3. Emma LandryFebruary 22, 2022 at 8:38 AM

    I agree that this was such a refreshing moment in this book after the heaviness that has pervaded the majority of the story up until this point. Whether or not this was intended, it is interesting how this is truly a moment of respite for readers as well. It is a needed break from the depressing nature of the book. I really like the concept you talked about or creating your own moment of peace. Whether that be in listening to music, swinging in a hammock, or watching a heartfelt movie, such moments were necessary during COVID lockdown times to continue feeling human and alive.
    -Emma Landry

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  4. Song WhittingtonFebruary 22, 2022 at 2:54 PM

    They finally get to "take a break" you could say. Short lived as it may be, them being able to have a moment where they aren't fighting the waves to survive is a time of well-needed rest. Quarantine wears on everyone eventually. The time of which it takes hold differs, of course, but it sets in sooner or later. Knowing that death stands looming, a moment to escape, to let yourself forget the reality that is, is nice. A moment of rest, fantasied as it may be, can be good. Nice post.

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