Who is Cottard What is the lesson of this character?
Cottard. Cottard is suspicious, paranoid, and mercurial. In the past, he committed a crime that he does not name, so he constantly fears arrest and punishment. When Oran falls under total quarantine, Cottard is happy because he no longer feels alone in his state of constant fear.
Why does Cottard commit suicide?
Dr. Rieux meets him when Cottard tries to kill himself, fearing external punishment. Cottard is the only citizen of Oran who welcomes the plague, as it reduces the rest of the population to his natural state of fear and loneliness, and distracts the authorities from potentially arresting him.
How do Rieux and Grand react to Cottard and his unnamed crime?
Neither Rieux nor Tarrou condemn Cottard for his indifference because they understand that it springs from his ignorance and alienation. It is interesting that they do not mention the unnamed crime he committed in the past when discussing his guilt. Rather, they sympathize with his constant fear of arrest.
What is the point of view of the story the plague?
Point of View In The Plague this is Rieux. However, Rieux does not function as a first-person narrator. The reason Rieux does not declare himself earlier is that he wants to give an objective account of the events in Oran. He deliberately adopts the tone of an impartial observer.
What happens to Cottard?
Saddest of all is that Cottard falls victim to his own mask of criminality. In fearing his status as a criminal, he becomes one, resorting to smuggling during the plague and a crazy madman postal scene after. Fittingly, he is arrested – the one fear that drove him to action in the first place.
How has Cottard been making money during the plague?
Cottard goes to the opera with Tarrou and witnesses the actor playing Orpheus collapse on stage from the plague. As the plague worsens, Cottard continues to make money “hand over fist.” When the plague’s recession begins, Cottard is resident party pooper in Oran. Cottard has been visiting Dr.
What was Cottards crime in the plague?
What is Cottard’s fate at the end of the plague?
He dies clutching his crucifix, but the symptoms of his illness do not match those of the plague. Dr. Rieux records him as a “doubtful case.” When the epidemic ends, Cottard cannot cope.
What happens to Dr Rieux’s wife?
Madame Rieux Dr. Rieux’ wife, who dies in a mountain sanitarium outside Oran.
What lesson is implied in the story the plague?
Back to Albert Camus’ book, La Peste, and the lessons we can learn from it: we can see that the writer encouraged us to accept our human condition, i.e. our mortality, instead of running away from it through fear and distraction. To accept our smallness and to embrace our role on this planet with more modesty.
What is the moral of the plague?
In this novel, the plague soon becomes the default situation. Camus is saying it is important to pay attention to how we understand and speak about our situation so that we are more informed about what elements we should try to control and change.
What does the plague symbolize in the plague?
The plague comes to represent other sources of suffering and alienation. The destruction and death caused by the plague is likened to the destruction of war.