The philosophy of Albert Camus in The Plague Knowing that we are sick is half of our cure. - Alexander PopeAs its title clearly indicates, the novel The Plague is indeed a story of illness. At first glance, the novel The Plague could be a factual account detailing the outbreak of bubonic plague in the city of Oran. But on a deeper level, it is a novel that reveals awareness and acceptance of the limits of human existence. And it is also a reminder of our absurd freedom and the choices we make in life, especially in the face of death. In writing The Plague, we are told that Camus "sought to convey [...] the feeling of suffocation from which we all suffered." and the atmosphere of threat and exile in which we lived” (Bree, 1964: 128). He was, of course, talking about the horrors of World War II. But “at the same time [he wanted] to extend [his] interpretation to the notion of existence in general” (Bree, 1964: 128). Camus's interpretation of existence is revealed in his philosophical essay The Myth of Sisyphus in which he discusses the absurd and its consequences, revolt, freedom and passion. Some interesting connections can be made between the philosophical discussion of the Myth of Sisyphus and the existential themes found in The Plague. In The Myth, Camus sets out his notion of the absurd and its consequences; in The Plague, he brings his philosophy to life. This story of life and death is told by Dr. Rieux, who maintains that "his business consists only of saying 'this is what happened,' when he knows that it really happened, [and] that it closely affected the life of an entire population [...]” (Camus, The Plague, p.7). Of the novel, says Germaine Bree, "considered in its totality [The Plague] transmits a personal experience... middle of paper..., in one way or another, and The Plague reminds us of this absurd fact. The quote at the beginning of this article, “Knowing oneself sick is half of our cure” has its relevance in the ultimate lesson we learn from The Plague. But there is another lesson to be learned and Camus reminds us of this in The Plague. Myth of Sisyphus: “it’s about living” (Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus, p.65), the characters in The Plague do an excellent job of bringing this philosophical point to life CitéBree. , Germaine (ed.), Camus: Collection of Critical Essays, Prentice-Hall: Englewood, NJ 1962. Camus, Albert. The Vintage Plague: NY, 1991. Ellison, David R. Understanding Albert Camus Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press., 1990.