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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Rieux ask Jean Tarrou to do for him?

2. What point is Camus making through this chapter?

3. Who must Rieux take with him when he has to evacuate a plague victim?

4. Who is Jean Tarrou?

5. To whom does Rieux disclose that the apris serum is not ideally effective?

Short Essay Questions

1. What factors are making life stressful for Dr. Rieux?

2. What do you think is interesting about Grand?

3. In Part 2 Chapter 3, what measure is taken by the town leaders?

4. Why is Cottard questioned by the police?

5. Who is Raymond Rambert?

6. Why is Mme. Rieux concerned about her son?

7. Who is Jean Tarrou?

8. In what way do you think Tarrou and Rieux are of like mind?

9. When does the Prefect finally take action?

10. What does M. Grand reveal in Part 2 Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

'Camus' novel The Plague shows us a hero who isn't exactly heroic.' Do you agree or disagree? What is the conventional idea of 'the hero' and does Dr. Rieux fit in with that idea? Discuss the kinds of heroism depicted in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

The blurb on the cover of the Penguin Edition of The Plague (c. 1969) says that the novel 'expresses most clearly the author's basic humanitarianism'. In a detailed essay, account for this point of view.

Essay Topic 3

Identify the sub-plots in The Plague. These concern the stories of certain characters. In an essay, show how the stories of characters compel us to be interested in the main plot--the struggle against the antagonist, which is the plague itself.

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This section contains 675 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample