Moral Values as a Panacea in the Time of Pandemics: An Analysis of A. Camus's The Plague

Abstract

At the critical moments of pandemic and human suffering, the integration of moral values plays a vital role in reducing even eliminating the negative consequences of mass suffering and destruction caused by pandemics. This paper aims to explore through analysis and interpretation of The Plague (1947) by Albert Camus how the people of Oran have succeeded in confronting the violent impact of the plague, which afflicts their town through adherence to a set of moral values of love, caring, honesty, compassion, sacrifice, and solidarity. The significance of the study lies in its attempt to raise people's awareness of the importance of moral values in eradicating human suffering during the time of crisis since it resonates with the chaos and disturbance of the current predicament of Covid 19 so that to create a sense of hope and solace in a time that so many people are mentally depressed and physically fall apart.