In his novel The Plague, Albert Camus presents a pseudo-historical documentary of a plague that confines and controls the citizens of Oran within their city gates. The plague possesses the power of life and death over the people, as it determines which citizens will face their death or those who work to stop death. These latter men, personified by the characters of Rieux, Grand, and Tarrau, each struggle endlessly to master the plague's power over their lives, even with the realization they may never succeed. For Camus, this idea of an "impossible struggle" against an unseen power resonates throughout the novel and reoccurs in another "plague" which these men must contend with - the limits of human language. Camus's characters place great emphasis and importance upon the power of language and lament their inability to express themselves clearly. As a result, Camus establishes that human language, like the plague, possesses an elusive power in determining the lives of these men even as they struggle to master and control it.
Camus demonstrates this first through his description of Rieux's struggle to choose words carefully as he recognizes their power to both define and control his work. Next, Camus establishes the power of words in his comical yet poignant portrayal of Grand, whose inability to "find the right words" stifles and confines both his work and his marriage (p.42). Lastly, Camus elaborates upon this power of words through the actions of Tarrau, who directly links the misuse of words with the power to kill. For Dr. Bernard Rieux, the use of human language will eventually help define his work. Therefore, he struggles to choose his words carefully when being asked to describe the mysterious disease.
Through his portrayal of Rieux, Grand, and Tarrau, Camus depicts the power of language as each attempt to master it and are mastered by it. In doing so, Camus pays tribute to language and makes The Plague a commentary on the artistic process, as Camus himself struggles with language in his career as a writer. Thus, Camus's novel also serves as a fable of the written word, as writers must struggle to master the language in their writings. For Camus, the moral of the story warns the reader to be careful when choosing their words as each has the potential power to control lives.
Works Cited:
Camus, Albert. The Plague. Vintage, 1991.
Firstly, The Masque of the Red Death is a short story that dwells on a wide variety of societal issues. On the other hand, The Raven adopts the form of a poem, which is especially notable for its dramatic and melodic properties. The poet uses the refrain of “Lenore” and “nevermore” in order to emphasize the narrators’ troubled interaction with death (Poe, The Works of Edgar Allen Poe). Furthermore, The Raven employs allusion in its attempt to explain the mysteries surrounding death. The poet seeks to know whether there is “balm in Gilead” in reference to the hope of life after death demonstrated in various religious faiths such as Christianity. In The Masque of the Red Death the author addresses death’s inevitability and its wider implication on the society (Poe). The short story addresses the ability of epidemics to wreck havoc on populations. Furthermore, the short story addresses the authority’s selfishness and incompetence when it comes to addressing pivotal issues affecting people. Instead of finding ways of protecting people from further infections, the prince selfishly runs away from the rest of the population. Whereas death finally catches up with everybody regardless of one’s social status, the short story plays a pivotal role in highlighting leadership discrepancies that plague many civilized
implacability of the natural world, the impartial perfection ofscience, the heartbreak of history. The narrative is permeated with insights about language itself, its power to distort and destroy meaning, and to restore it again to those with stalwart hearts.
Based on Three Reasons College Still Matters, there are three main reasons why a college education is so important. From an economical standpoint, an education is most of the time needed to earn enough money to live comfortably. Attending and completing college provides a possibility for future economic stability. Within a highly competitive workforce a college degree can put a foot in the door to a job of a person’s choice. Statistics show that people who obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher get paid more than those who do not obtain one. Many question the worth of a college degree because of how expensive it is, though some say that the money spent is an investment on a person’s future. One can say that the worth of a college education is within the eye of the beholder. Many q...
The power of words can influence many people which results in many characters to be negatively impacted like Liesel. The negative effects of that the theme of the power of words causes Liesel to experience misery throughout her lifetime. Liesel is abandoned by her mother at a young age.
In the book Dracula the vampires would be killed by a stake to the heart, and then the removal of the head (411-12). In The Vampire Diaries however there was many ways to kill them. For example you could use a stake to kill them, but it would have to be a White Oak ash dagger or stake. Also instead of the decapitation you could also burn then to ash. However the easiest thing for the vampires to die from was a werewolf bite. To the vampires the werewolf bite was like a poison to them. Next in The Vampire Diaries they had some vampires called the originals. These vampires are the oldest, and they were the first to ever walk the earth. So if one of the originals were killed then everyone that they turned would also die along with them. This is because there blood has the DNA of the original. Finally we do not truly know how Dracula was created he was the very first vampire. Then over the many years he was alive he made new vampires by feeding off people. In The Vampire Diaries however we do know how they were created. A witch created the vampires in The Vampire Diaries. She later regretted the creation she made, and wanted to undo what she had already
The Plague (French, La Peste) is a novel written by Albert Camus that is about an epidemic of bubonic plague. The Plague is set in a small Mediterranean town in North Africa called Oran. Dr. Bernard Rieux, one of the main characters, describes it as an ugly town. Oran’s inhabitants are boring people who appear to live, for the most part, habitual lives. The main focus of the town is money. “…everyone is bored, and devotes himself to cultivating habits. Our citizens work hard, but solely with the object of getting rich. Their chief interest is in commerce, and their chief aim in life is, as they call it, 'doing business’” (Camus 4). The citizens’ unawareness of life’s riches and pleasures show their susceptibility to the oncoming plague. They don’t bother themselves with matters not involving money. It is very easy for the reader to realize that they are too naive to combat the forthcoming calamity. The theme of not knowing life is more than work and habits will narrow the people’s chances of survival. Rieux explains that the town had a view of death as something that happens every day. He then explains that the town really doesn’t face towards the Mediterranean Sea. Actually it is almost impossible to see the sea from town. Oran is a town which seems to turn its back on life and freedom. The Plague was first published in 1948 in France. “Early readers were quick to note that it was in part an allegory of the German occupation of France from 1940 to 1944, which cut France off from the outside world; just as in the novel the town of Oran must close its gates to isolate the plague” (“The Plague” 202). When the plague first arrives, the residents are slow to realize the extreme danger they are in. Once they finally become aware of it...
Death, despair, and revenge, these three words form a treacherous triangle to any reader who dare enter the mind of Edgar Allen Poe. In many of his works these expressions seem to form a reoccurring theme. Comparing the works "The Mask of the Red Death" and "The Cask of Amontillado", we will discuss these themes while analyzing the method behind Poe’s madness.
There are many variations to vampire weather modern or ancient. Some can turn into bats or wolves while others can’t. Some can be killed with holy water and sunlight while others can’t. Some cast a reflection while others don’t. Though there are many variations to the vampire all drink blood and can be killed in some
When the vampire came about the thought of the monsters themselves were terrifying, and to view one they were ghostly pale with dark sunken eyes, large nose similar to that of the stereotypical witch, pointed ears like an elf and dark hair usually dark brown if not black. The original folklore on vampires showed a terrifying creature that you would know if you would see it out and about during the night. Today’s films and novels want to present you with an attractive vampire, like dying and becoming an immortal being is something a human would want to do because they would become more attractive. But also in today’s depiction of the vampire they have no obvious tells that a person is a vampire until they get angry and the fangs elongate. The idea of the vampire has shifted so drastically over the course of time, from fear to an admiration of a creature that could kill you in seconds. In the popular culture of today, the vampire is something attractive that girls pine after and want to be since there are a multitude of romance novels printed today with the male leads being portrayed as a
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most recognized prose poets, short story authors, and literary composers of all time. His works contain trending themes such as love, time, death and the concept of “oneness.” Poe often expressed these themes according to events that he had experienced, and some of his themes intertwined with others. Take for instance, his love for beauty and perfection played a major role in his concept of oneness, or state of absolute fulfillment. However in his short story, The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe effectively explores the power of guilt, and leads his readers through a cynical plot to murder while enduring the struggle to silence a beating conscience by treading the lines of genius versus insanity, moral reasoning versus indifferent resolution, and meticulousness versus obsession.
Dr. Rieux is the strongest character in The Plague because he was able to distance himself from the events of the plague and not allow his feelings and beliefs sway the reader’s outlook on the plague. This shows tremendous engagement strength by Rieux because he could focus working on ending the plague while also telling a story and not being completely objective to the terrible experiences that he went through. He was in a very stressful environment that would drive most doctors insane. Dr. Rieux didn’t go insane but was a professional about his job. Camus’ best decision about writing this novel was making sure that the reader didn’t know that Rieux was the narrator until the end.
The vampire is probably the only creature of which this many different myths have been written. However, there is not a clear source that states where these myths have originated from. Over the years many myths have disappeared but the ones that are still discussed today often originated in early Romania, Serbia and Hungary. One of the biggest myths is the one where someone who has been bitten by a vampire becomes a vampire themselves. However there are some variations to this myth, some say that if a pregnant woman only looks at a vampire she would give birth to a vampire or if your baby was born with the amniotic sac still intact the mother were to become a vampire when she was about to die. Vampires are said to sleep during the day in graves, so if a horse refuses to walk over a grave it means that a vampire is residing there. In that case the grave would be opened to see whether the diseased looked like a normal dead person, for example the lack of blood in their veins or the presence of colouring in the face. When a vampire was found it had to be killed. Killing a vampire can be done in various ways but the best way is considered to be burning the vampire. Other lethal cures stakes made out of wood or iron pierced into the heart, or decapitation. It is not unlikely that, because there are numerous myths about vampires, it is a beloved fictional character for authors to write about. (Vampire Myths, n.d.)
Edgar Allan Poe's short stories, "The Telltale Heart" and "The Masque of the Red Death" are two very different stories. One is about a simple man, perhaps a servant, who narrates the tale of how he kills his wealthy benefactor, and the other is about a prince who turns his back on his country while a plague known as The Red Death ravages his lands. Yet, there are some similarities in both. Time, for instance, and the stroke of midnight, seem to always herald the approach of impending death. Both are killers, one by his own hand, the other by neglecting his country. One seeks peace, the other seeks pleasure, but both are motivated by the selfish need to rid themselves of that which haunts them, even at the expense of another's life. However, the point of this critique will show that their meticulous plans to beat that which torments them are undone by a single flaw in their character - overconfidence.
“The Masque of the Red Death” is an extraordinary story of many elements that can grasp any reader's attention. This story targets more of the emotions and actions of the characters, creating more of a fathom. Edgar Allan Poe wrote this story from his own perspective and perhaps succeeded in getting the reader to some what relate to the characters focusing on the feelings. The point of view Poe wrote this in makes a clear understanding.
When writing occurs, the works are distinguished, but no unified meaning is deciphered. It is the option of the reader to decide whether a text contains an inherent meaning or the inability to find meaning at all. The Novella, Balthazar’s Marvelous Afternoon, allows the reader to determine meaning and to distinguish whether Balthazar’s generous approach possesses an underlying meaning. This concept is relevant to Barthes’s work, which criticizes the author’s intentions versus the interpreted context. The Death of the Author, discusses the theory of how an author enters his own death as the act of writing is taking place. This theory no longer allows the author to have definitive authority over the reader. To prevent “interpretive tyranny,” the reader must be able to separate a work from the inventor and conclude one’s own viewpoint.