the outside world. As the narrator, Rieux expresses what exile meant to everyone:

[T]hat sensation of a void within which never left us, that irrational longing to hark back to the past or else to speed up the march of time, and those keen shafts of memory that stung like fire.

Some, like Rambert, endure a double exile, not only separated from their loved ones but also stripped of the comfort of their own homes.

This sense of exile brings about numerous changes in people's attitudes and behaviors. Initially, individuals indulge in fantasies, imagining the return of those who are absent. Over time, they begin to feel like prisoners, drifting through life while clinging to the past, as the future remains uncertain. The past, however, is marred by regrets over unfinished business. Living with a feeling of abandonment, they struggle to share their private sorrow with neighbors, resulting in superficial conversations.

Rieux revisits this theme at the novel's end, after the epidemic concludes, emphasizing the profound joy experienced by lovers and families reuniting after long separations. For some citizens, the sense of exile was harder to define. They longed for a reunion with something indescribable yet seemingly the most desirable thing on Earth. Some referred to it as peace. Rieux considers Tarrou among those individuals, although Tarrou found peace only in death.

This understanding of exile hints at the deeper, metaphysical implications of the term. It relates to the loss of belief that humans live in a rational universe where they can fulfill their hopes, find meaning, and feel at home. As Camus stated in The Myth of Sisyphus, “In a universe that is suddenly deprived of illusions and of light, man feels a stranger. His is an irremediable exile.”

The plague's destruction in Oran vividly demonstrates the absurdist notion that humans inhabit a universe that is indifferent, unfathomable, and lacking in rational meaning or divine presence. The plague arrives unexpectedly, capable of taking anyone's life at any moment. Its randomness and unpredictability leave people in a continuous state of fear and uncertainty, only alleviated by death. In the face of this existential truth, how should individuals react? Should they accept it as inevitable and seek personal peace, or should they unite to resist, even when knowing that victory is impossible? Camus firmly advocates for the latter, as seen through the characters of Rieux, Rambert, and Tarrou. Rieux's perspective is emphasized in part II during his dialogue with Tarrou. Rieux argues that yielding to the plague is utter madness. Instead of accepting illness and death as the natural order, he fights back. He realizes his duty to the community and does not live solely for his own sake. When Tarrou comments that “your victories will never be lasting,” Rieux admits to fighting a “never-ending defeat,” yet this does not stop him from persevering in the struggle.

Rieux is also aware that working for the common good requires sacrifice; he cannot expect personal happiness. This is a lesson that Rambert learns. Initially, he claims he doesn't belong in Oran and is solely focused on reuniting with his beloved in Paris. He is consumed by his own happiness and the perceived injustice of his situation. However, he gradually realizes his connection to the broader human community, which places demands on him that he cannot ignore. His personal happiness becomes secondary to his commitment to helping the community.

Tarrou shares this viewpoint, adhering to a moral code that requires acting for the benefit of the entire community, even at the expense of his own life. Later in the novel, when Tarrou shares his life story with Rieux, he adds a new dimension to the concept of the plague. He sees it not merely as a specific disease or an external, impersonal evil. For Tarrou, the plague symbolizes the destructive impulse within every individual—the capacity and desire to cause harm. It is everyone's duty to guard against this tendency within themselves to prevent spreading it to others. He expresses his beliefs to Rieux:

The microbe is what’s natural. Everything else—health, integrity, purity (if you prefer)—is a result of human effort and constant vigilance. The virtuous person, the one who infects the fewest people, is the one who remains most attentive.

In times of crisis, many individuals turn to religion for comfort, a theme Camus explores in his novel. While characters like Rieux, Rambert, and Tarrou approach the situation from a humanist angle, the religious perspective is embodied by Father Paneloux, a rigid Jesuit priest. Unlike the others who see no logical cause for the plague, Paneloux believes otherwise. In his first sermon, given during the epidemic's initial month, he portrays the plague as the “flail of God,” a divine tool to distinguish the virtuous from the sinful. He emphasizes that God did not will the catastrophe: “He looked on the evil-doing in the town with compassion; only when there was no other remedy did He turn His face away, in order to force people to face the truth about their life.” For Paneloux, the intense suffering brought on by the plague serves a higher purpose. Even in dire situations, divine light shines through, offering Christian hope to everyone.

Paneloux’s arguments are grounded in the theology of St. Augustine, a subject he knows well, and many residents, including the magistrate Othon, find his reasoning persuasive. However, Rieux remains skeptical. Throughout the story, Camus explores the issue of innocent suffering. While Paneloux claims the plague is divine retribution for sin, he struggles to justify the death of an innocent child. This dilemma becomes personal with the passing of Jacques Othon, witnessed by Paneloux, Rieux, and Tarrou. Deeply affected by the child's suffering, Paneloux addresses this in his second sermon. He suggests that such inexplicable suffering tests faith critically: we must either accept everything or reject everything, and who, he asks, could bear to do the latter? He argues that we must submit to divine will, accepting even what we cannot comprehend, while still endeavoring to do good (as Paneloux does by volunteering to combat the plague).

When Paneloux contracts the plague himself, he declines medical intervention, choosing to die in line with his beliefs, trusting in God’s plan and accepting his destiny. This stands in contrast to Tarrou, who fights vigorously against death when his moment arrives.

It's clear that Camus aligns more with Rieux and Tarrou in this ideological conflict, yet he still holds Paneloux in esteem.