IJLLC | Meaning Amidst Pandemic: Existential Exploration of Albert Camus's The Plague

Indexing and Abstracting

Meaning Amidst Pandemic: Existential Exploration of Albert Camus's The Plague

Kritika , Devendra Kumar Sharma

International Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (IJLLC), Vol-5,Issue-1, January - February 2025, Pages 30-35, 10.22161/ijllc.5.1.5

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Article Info: Received: 09 Jan 2025, Received in revised form: 11 Feb 2025, Accepted: 15 Feb 2025, Available online: 20 Feb 2025

Abstract:

A multitude of disasters and epidemics have plagued human history all over the world since time immemorial. In every era of human history, pandemics have profoundly impacted human existence. As a cataclysmic event, it serves as a poignant backdrop for examining existentialism which is a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual experience, freedom, and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent world. The existential dimension of pandemic literature acknowledges the intricate tapestry woven by authors to grapple with the complexities of life in the face of widespread disease as a way of survival. This research paper delves into the existential dimensions of pandemic literature, focusing on Albert Camus's The Plague. Characters in pandemic literature often find themselves in situations where traditional structures and societal norms crumble, leaving them to forge their paths. This study further aims to explore the philosophical underpinnings of existentialism in literary responses to pandemics as well as also seeks to elucidate the existential aspects of the human experience by contemplating questions of meaning, purpose, mortality, and suffering in the face of crisis.

Keywords:

Crisis, Epidemic, Existentialism, Meaning, Pandemic.

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