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Observations of Jean Tarrou
In Albert Camus’ The Plague, the character of Jean Tarrou is a man of particular interest from the beginning of the novel until its end. We are initially introduced to Tarrou while he is smoking a cigarette, observing a dying rat on the ground in front of him. ... Tarrou is an extremely observant man and Camus describes his journal as, “recording the history of what the normal historian passes over. ...
Tarrou is the person responsible for establishing the sanitary squads; this is where we first get a glimpse of his true character. ... His father was a prosecutor and when Tarrou was seventeen he first went to see one of his father’s trials. ... From this we learn of Tarrou’s only ambition in life; to become a saint. This is somewhat ironic because Tarrou is a self confessed atheist, which sparks the question which he says is his only problem in life, “Can one be a saint without God? ...
Another way Camus reveals the true nature of Tarrou is through the scene leading up to his death. In the same way it had arrived, the plague had mysteriously began to disappear, but just days before the gates of Oran were due to open Tarrou suddenly fell ill. ... Camus writes, “Tarrou struggled without moving. ... ” (Camus, 285) Hoping to spare Rieux and his mother the agony of witnessing another violent death at the hands of the plague, Tarrou made sure that every time he crossed eyes with his two friends, he forced a smile to his face.
Approximate Word count = 1255
Approximate Pages = 5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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