First, some background information:
Oran is located on the coast of the Mediterranean in northwestern Algeria, a country in northern Africa. (The maps below are from the Facts on File World Atlas database, available through Longview Library's Online Databases page.)
There are about 2 million people living in Oran and the surrounding region, which makes it the second-largest city in Algeria, trailing only the capital, Algiers. Because of its coastal position, Oran has been an important port ever since the city was founded by Moorish traders in the 10th century CE.Its importance has, of course, led to the city being invaded, conquered, occupied, or otherwise controlled numerous times. The Spanish captured the city from the Moors in 1509. The Turks took over in 1708. The Spanish re-captured the city in 1732, but lost Oran to the Ottoman Empire in 1791. The French took over in 1831.
Several important developments occurred in the 1940s, the decade in which The Plague is set. In July 1940, France surrendered to Nazi Germany. The terms of the surrender gave Germany about three-fifths of France, including Paris and the enire Atlantic coast. The remaining two-fifths remained unoccupied and the French relocated their government from Paris to Vichy. Most historians now agree that the 'Vichy regime' was actually a puppet government controlled by the Nazis, but in any case, Vichy France controlled 'French North Africa', as it was called, until British and American naval troops reclaimed the area in November 1942.So, some questions:
1) Do you think The Plague is set before or after November 1942? Why?
2) Judging from what he writes after the second paragraph, do you think that Camus (or his narrator) really believes the city is "ugly"? If not, why do you think he describes it that way on the first page of the book? (Feel free to come back and comment again if your feelings change as you read on)
3) And - most importantly - do you think Oran is ugly? Click here to look at pictures taken from the DHD Multimedia Gallery, the Wikimedia Commons, or the Visit Oran website - http://www.visitoran.com/photos/ - which has tons of other images in their Photo Galleries.
(Geographical and historical information adapted from Facts on File World Atlas and CultureGrams World Edition - both available through Longview Library's Online Databases page)
David--There's a map circa 1909 at this link: http://www.discusmedia.com/catalog.php?id=24926
ReplyDeletebut I defer to your knowledge about whether or not it can be posted here for copyright reasons. I shared it in class this past Tuesday evening.
Thanks, Terri. I think we're fine on copyright issues, since it's basically an advertisement for reprints of the map. I think the sellers would be happy with you sharing their page with as many people as possible!
ReplyDelete(Strange that it costs so much more to download the image file than to order an actual reprint. I guess you could make as many physical copies as you wanted once you downloaded the file. But it seems like PhotoEurasia charges a lot more for doing less work themselves!)
Verna Underwood said...: What's in a name? To be called "the plague" is buboes in itself!! It shocked me as I read the article on the blackboard that there are still 10-15 cases reported yearly of the plague in AZ, NM, CA, CO and Nevada. Until we can can get rid of the ground squirrels, prairie dogs and marmots we will have to keep making the serumn.
ReplyDeletei think that the plague represents nazi control. So i think that the book takes place during 1942.
ReplyDeleteit seems to me that Camus does think that the city is how he describes it. Looking at the pictures of Oran it looks like a beautiful city from far away then the closer one looks it seems run down.