The Plague: A Contemporary Lens

The Plague by Albert Camus bears witness to the town of Oran amidst the spread of the plague from the beginning to the end of the quarantine placed on the town. Although it is a direct comparison to the COVID-19 pandemic, Camus’s themes expressed in his novel resonates with other contemporary worldly issues that may or may not have an explanation. These other contemporary issues include war and the climate crisis. From our 2022 perspective, we have seen the COVID pandemic play out firsthand. We have witnessed from afar the threat of World War III and the current war in Ukraine. And, finally, we are bearing witness to the beginning stages of the destruction that will be caused from the climate crisis. These three specific perspectives allow us to make connections between Camus’s novel and what is happening in the world today in abstract ways