I've had this idea for a while now (even before I fully read the book lol) and I haven't seen anyone mention anything similar, so I thought I'd share an interpretation of The Plague I have:
The reason why Rieux and Tarrou have such a dynamic - whether it is platonic or romantic - is because they are the same person.
The Plague itself is a part of Camus' cycle of revolt, and can sort of be seen as a follow-up to The Stranger in terms of its themes. If The Stranger showed an example of someone recognising the absurd (with Meursault acting as the perfect "absurd hero"), The Plague can be seen as Camus' matured thoughts about the world around him - once someone has recognised the absurd, how do they apply that to the world around them?
In this, I think Rieux and Tarrou are both supposed to represent two different sides to Camus:
Tarrou is the philosophical side to Camus. The man of the absurd, having recognised its affect on humanity and beginning to fight against it. He harbours a lot of thoughts on ethics and morality that Camus has, such as his hatred for the death penalty and his feelings on activism. He lives his life to its fullest, taking pleasure in the little things rather than focusing on what is to come after.
Rieux is the more realistic side to Camus. He is the man who is going about his day-to-day life, struggling to fight against what is simply in front of him. He does what he does because it is the right thing to do, helping others heal and stopping himself from being "too emotional" to prevent any biases affecting his work.
Their "hour of friendship" is where these two ideas combine - can one bring about the ideas of the absurd into reality, or are they just idealistic concepts based on an idealistic view of life? Through here, Tarrou is passing on his philosophy onto Rieux, as if to give him a definite introduction into the absurd based on everything he already knows about life. The swimming scene may be full of such intimacy because that is how Camus saw the act of swimming - almost sexual in some way. The two have their hearts at one because they have become Camus himself, their ideas joining together to make up the mind of the author writing their story.
So when Tarrou eventually succumbs to the plague and Rieux is forced to watch, the roots of the philosophy are gone. In essence, Tarrou's ideology is still there in the mind of Rieux, but after everything, after all of this suffering, it's up to Rieux to carry on the ideology of his friend and bring it into the light of the real world rather than keeping it in the darkness of thoughts alone. His physical body may be gone, but Tarrou's spirit has now become one with Rieux, and the doctor - or Camus, in better words - has become both the perfect absurd hero and a healer who wishes to simply do good by others.
When someone recognises the absurd, they don't just die like Meursault, or can't live their entire life with their own goals in mind like the former Mersault. If one is to recognise the absurd, they have to use it to better the lives of others - and as Rieux has realised, to be the perfect "true healer", even against something that is impossible to fight.
The death of Tarrou represents Camus moving on from his initial ideas in the cycle of the absurd, with Rieux's final reaction and mentality showing how one can be an absurdist whilst still having their heart in the real world.
(Of course, I am not a philosopher or professional in this area, and I cant say I have perfectly interpreted the book - only Camus knows why he wrote what he did. If my words have been a struggle to understand, I can only deeply apologise and attempt to clear any confusing statements made. ♡‧₊˚)
vaporwave
jimmyeatworldofficial
2087
stormborns
