The Plague

by Albert Camus

When war breaks out people say: ‘It won’t last, it’s too stupid.’ And war is certainly too stupid, but that doesn’t prevent it from lasting. Stupidity always carries doggedly on, as people would notice if they were not always thinking about themselves.

They continued with business, with making arrangements for travel and holding opinions.

God, who has so long bent the face of pity towards this town, is tired of waiting; disappointed in His eternal hope, He has turned away His face.

The evil in the world comes almost always from ignorance, and goodwill can cause as much damage as ill-will if it is not enlightened.

‘On the contrary, what we call common-law cases are in decline. Nowadays, all I have to examine are serious breaches of the new regulations. Never have people shown such respect for the old laws.’

‘There. Yet you are capable of dying for an idea, that’s patently obvious. Well, I’ve had enough of people who die for ideas.

The authorities tried in vain to introduce a hierarchy into this levelling and had the idea of decorating prison warders who had died carrying out their duties.

At this juncture the narrator is perfectly well aware how unfortunate it is that he cannot here describe something truly spectacular, for example some reassuring hero or an impressive action, similar to those that one finds in old stories.

The cruellest trial was still beneficial for the Christian.

But no one dared tell them about the God of former times, laden with offerings, as old as human suffering,

and now the first sign of hope was enough to destroy what fear and despair had not managed to dent.

he was aware of the sterility of a life without illusions.

‘I can hear them already: “Our dead …” Then they’ll go and have dinner.’