The Power of Hearsay - Joshua Naqvi

The "Plague" is a book that I could talk about for a long time. Where to begin? The story so far has had no end to deaths, rats, depression, panic, hopelessness, and all manner of apocalyptic themes. Yet, there is one aspect of the story that comes to mind that I would like to discuss. This is the effect news, particularly hearsay, has on people. The book's story truly begins on page seven, when Dr. Rieux tells M. Michel about the dead rat. The word used on page seven is "news".  M. Michel has disbelief that there even was a rat. He believes his own stubborn will. However, things escalate quickly, and go from bad to worse. There is more rats and as they spread so does the news. Hearsay is a powerful force in the story. Everyone from Dr. Rieux's patients to the townspeople are talking about what is happening. On page ten Dr. Rieuex finds the rats to be of "great topic" around the town. This led me to wonder what effect does news have on its receivers?

Dr. Rieux is the one who usually hears news of how things are. His reactions are usually hesitant. For instance, most of part one, he investigates what is happening to see exactly what is true. News, especially hearsay, can be either over or under exaggerated. One must be careful to not believe the first thing they hear, even in a crisis. Dr. Rieux seems to remain calm despite most of the town being thrown into mass chaos. There are some who hear of the rats and they panic, while some are stubborn and deny the existence all together. This is human nature. It is common to see people panic at bad news, or be so overwhelmed that they deny the bad completely. On the other hand, some become depressed. I theorize that if everyone would have taken time to investigate the facts like Dr. Rieuex, then things might be better. At the very least, the apocalyptic feeling of dread might be lessened in the people. The constant swirl of people's opinions and discussions can be found on nearly every page. Yet, no one really seems to try and solve the problem in a logical way. I think that the news is needed to warn others, but it should be stated in a manner that encourages positive behavior. There are occasions when the news is positive. On page 138 Dr. Rieux hears a radio broadcast from the outside. The message is encouraging and hopeful. Sadly, its effect is questionable due to the state of the town at the time. This furthers the idea that what one says can have great sway. One must watch how much they believe the hearsay of others, otherwise, more harm may be done than good if the information is not accurate.  

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Comments

  1. Emma LandryFebruary 14, 2022 at 2:43 PM

    It is eerie how such themes have been echoed in our post-COVID world. Hearsay has been such a destructive aspect in society for the last season of life. Unfortunately, people are often willing to accept information if it is what they want to hear, even if it is not factual. In addition, hearsay is a dangerous force that can fuel fear and panic. Unfortunately, we do not live in a world in which everyone discovers the facts for themselves as Dr. Rieux does. It would certainly assist in minimizing fear and dread, but there will always be those who would rather look to others for all the answers. We have seen in our present-day society how hearsay is also negative because of its propensity for creating utter confusion about what is actually one hundred percent true.
    -Emma Landry

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  2. Haylee LyndFebruary 14, 2022 at 6:20 PM

    If we used news to encourage positive behavior, rather than to cause panic, we would be in a much better place. However, Emma is right when she says people are often willing to accept information that is not what they want to hear. The concierge illustrates this when he argues that there cannot be a rat. I think of January and February of 2020 when I heard of the spread of COVID in China but never thought or wanted to accept that it would affect us. I wanted to scream at the people of Oran at the beginning of this book and tell them the significance of all the rats. Even if I could, would they listen though?

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