Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The plague post II

As the town settles into a state of exile there are obvious parallels to be drawn with the German occupation of France because no doubt there were people there wondering when it would end with no prospect in sight.

Bullet points between pages 57 - 137 (part II)

* The second part starts with a description of the state of the town now it is isolated with the growing sense of despair, panic and madness

* The cathedral is the scene of a week of prayer, which ends with the priest warning them not only is the plague a punishment from God but also an opportunity to meet their maker earlier than they might have intended

* One of those trapped in the town, Rambert a journalist from Paris, begs Dr Rieux for a certificate of health so he can try to leave but is denied because it is not possible

* Daily deathrates replace weekly ones to make the totals seem smaller and the town settles into a pattern dictated not just by fear but by the August heat and a life in the plague town is described by Tarrou in chapter six

* Tarrou sets up sanitary squads to help fight the plague and it divides some of the small group that gravitate around Rieux with Rambert and Cottard turning it down at first although Rambert does sign up at the end of the section

* Rambert tries to use the underground criminals to escape from the town but his attempts always seem to be failing and going back to square one. His despair sums up the impact the plague has had on the town and everyone in it:

'So you haven't understood yet?' Rambert shrugged his shoulders almost scornfully.
'Understood what?'
'The plague.'
'Ah!' Rieux exclaimed.
'No, you haven't understood that it means exactly that - the same thing over and over and over again.' (pg134)


Hopefully that's not how the bullet points feel...