The townspeople of Oran are in the grip of a deadly plague,which condemns its victims to a swift and horrifying death. Fear,isolation and claustrophobia follow as they are forced intoquarantine. Each person responds in their own way to the lethaldisease: some resign themselves to fate, some seek blame, and afew, like Dr. Rieux, resist the terror. An immediate triumph whenit was published in 1947, "The Plague" is in part an allegory ofFrance's suffering under the Nazi occupation, and a story ofbravery and determination against the precariousness of humanexistence.