Get busy with abstraction

October 14, 2024

There’s require a certain abstraction to fight abstraction in the world.

'The Plague' maybe the best descriptiion of our situation during the time of Covid-19. Whether it comes to reaction from officials

Please answer me quite frankly. Are you absolutely convinced it’s plague?

or reaction of general populus

So they went on strolling about the town as usual and sitting at the tables on cafe terraces. Generally speaking, they did not lack courage, bandied more jokes than lamentations, and made a show of accepting cheerfully unpleasantnesses that obviously could be only passing.

And, there's wider theme which asks to consider an immediate possiblity to cease to exist. The characters have their own different ideas about things that revolves around innocence, morality, love, and many more ...

"Do you believe in God, doctor?"
"No? but what does that really mean?"

There's one idea, that mainly revolves around Rieux (also the narrator), is of abstraction. It comes at number of places throughout the novel and however, long conversation on it, still not so much clear. It first comes during a conversation with Rambert, a visitor in the town. Rambert wants to leave the town and reunite with his wife, as he has no business being there. However, due to the plague, the town is under quarantine, and he is unable to leave. He asks Dr. Rieux if he can issue him a certificate stating that he does not have the plague. Rieux refuses, explaining that he cannot guarantee Rambert’s health since he might contract the plague after receiving the certificate. Besides, the certificate would not help Rambert leave the town anyway. When Rieux finds Rambert being irritated, he added,

Only the law was the law, plague had broken out, and he could only do what had to be done.

In response, Rambert says,

"No," Rambert said bitterly, "you can't understand. You're using the language of reason, not of the heart; you live in a world of abstractions."

and few lines later, the narrator writes,

Yes, the journalist was right in refusing to be balked of happiness. But was he right in reproaching him, Rieux, with living in a world of abstraction? Could that term "abstraction" really apply to these days he spent in his hospital while the plague was battening on the town, raising its deathtoll to five hundred victims a week? Yes, an element of abstraction, of a divorce from reality, entered into such calamitites. Still when abstraction sets to killing you, you're got to get busy with it.

So abstraction appears to be the idea of viewing things through a lens of rational detachment rather than emotional involvement. And, there's a certain level of abstraction is required to face human suffering or unreality created from the plague. Later, the idea appear at some more places

Then indeed began “abstraction” and a tussle with the family, who knew they would not see the sick man again until he was dead or cured.

Yes, plague, like abstraction, was monotonous; perhaps only one factor changed, and that was Rieux himself.

The dreary struggle in progress between each man’s happiness and the abstractions of the plague?

In these lines, the abstraction continues to hold same meaning with emphasis on the tension between individual desires for happiness and the abstract reality of the plague. On personal remarks from Rieux

You’re right, Rambert, quite right, and for nothing in the world would I try to dissuade you from what you’re going to do; it seems to me absolutely right and proper. However, there’s one thing I must tell you: there’s no question of heroism in all this. It’s a matter of common decency. That’s an idea which may make some people smile, but the only means of righting a plague is common decency.
“What do you mean by ‘common decency’?” Rambert’s tone was grave.
“I don’t know what it means for other people. But in my case I know that it consists in doing my job.”

which in words, explores Dr. Rieux's character as someone deeply rooted in an abstract sense of decency. In summary, for Camus, abstraction represents a state of emotional numbness in the face of the harsh reality of the plague.