Чума
Part I
Pestilenceisinfactverycommon,butwefindithardtobelieveinapestilencewhenitdescendsuponus.Therehavebeenasmanyplaguesintheworldastherehavebeenwars,yetplaguesandwarsalwaysfindpeopleequallyunprepared.DrRieuxwasunprepared,asweretherestofthetownspeople,andthisishowoneshouldunderstandhisreluctancetobelieve.Oneshouldalsounderstandthathewasdividedbetweenanxietyandconfidence.Whenwarbreaksoutpeoplesay:"Itwon’tlast,it’stoostupid."Andwariscertainlytoostupid,butthatdoesn’tpreventitfromlasting.Stupidityalwayscarriesdoggedlyon,aspeoplewouldnoticeiftheywerenotalwaysthinkingaboutthemselves.Inthisrespect,thecitizensofOranwereliketherestoftheworld,theythoughtaboutthemselves;inotherwords,theywerehumanists:theydidnotbelieveinpestilence.Apestilencedoesnothavehumandimensions,sopeopletellthemselvesthatitisunreal,thatitisabaddreamwhichwillend.Butitdoesnotalwaysendand,fromonebaddreamtothenext,itispeoplewhoend,humanistsfirstofallbecausetheyhavenotpreparedthemselves.Thepeopleofourtownwerenomoreguiltythananyoneelse,theymerelyforgottobemodestandthoughtthateverythingwasstillpossibleforthem,whichimpliedthatpestilencewasimpossible.Theycontinuedwithbusiness,withmakingarrangementsfortravelandholdingopinions.
