Чума
Part II
Despitetheseunusualscenes,thetownspeopleapparentlyfoundithardtounderstandwhatwashappeningtothem.Therewerethosesharedfeelings,likeseparationorfear,butpeoplealsowentongivingprioritytotheirpersonalconcerns.Nooneyethadreallyacceptedtheideaofthedisease.Mostwerechieflyaffectedbywhateverupsettheirhabitsortouchedontheirinterests.Theywereannoyedorirritatedbythem,andthesearenotfeelingswithwhichtofighttheplague.Forexample,theirfirstreactionwastoblametheauthorities.ThePrefectfacedcriticismthatwasechoedinthepress("Couldn’ttherebesomerelaxationinthemeasuresproposed?"),andhisreplywasquiteunexpected.Untilthen,neitherthenewspapersnortheInfodocagencyhadhadanyofficialstatisticsforthedisease.ThePrefectpassedthemontotheagency,daybyday,withtherequestthattheyshouldbepublishedweekly.
Yetheretoothepublicreactionwasnotimmediate.Theannouncementthattherehadbeen302deathsinthethirdweekoftheplaguedidnotstirtheimagination.Ontheonehand,perhapsnotallofthemdiedofplague.And,ontheotherhand,nooneinthetownknewhowmanypeoplediedeveryweekinordinarytimes.Thetownhadapopulationoftwohundredthousandinhabitants.Peoplehadnoideaifthisproportionofdeathswasnormal.Thesearethesortoffactsthatnooneeverbotherswith,interestingthoughtheyclearlyare.Soinasensethepublichadnopointofcomparison.
