When thousands of rats begin to die and rot in the streets of Oran, the citizens are shocked. It is when singular cases of strong fever begin to appear that Doctor Rieux and Doctor Castel dare to believe that the plague has descended on the city. For this reason Albert Camus' The Plague is appropriately named. The novel explores the condition of a society that lives in constant fear of a disease that almost guarantees death. The title not only reflects the name of the disease but also the event of the plague. The book is a chronicle of events and conditions, which push the reader to cling to the past. When strict quarantine rules are enforced, no one is spared from the wrath of the plague. Every person in Oran must fight the plague. Dr. Rieux in particular takes on the responsibility of leading the battle against the disease. With the onset of the disease, Rieux struggled to convince the authorities to enact laws to prevent the spread of the disease. The authorities, however, are complacent and do not act until the disease has overwhelmed the city too much. Even though the odds are stacked against him, Rieux refuses to give up in his battle with the disease. Rieux finds himself in conflict not only with the disease, but also with his peers and with himself. Father Paneloux urges Rieux to abandon his desperate battle against the plague, as he believes he is only interfering with God who is trying to purify the city. Rieux pauses and questions not only Paneloux's words but also his reasons for fighting the disease. Rieux realizes that he is morally obligated to serve the thousands of sick people and overcomes these conflicts to continue fighting the disease and, overall, defeats the plague. Rieux defeats the plague...... middle of the paper...... the reader sees the use of foreshadowing with the death of the rats. The thousands of dead rats foreshadow the coming plague in Oran. Camus continues to use rats to foreshadow humanity throughout the novel as well. Towards the end of the book, the rats return to Oran, marking the end of the plague for humans. Paired with foreshadowing are images. Camus uses time to mark changes in the disease. “The appearance of the sea also changed; its dark blue translucency was gone and, under the waning sky, it had steely or silvery highlights that hurt the eyes to look at. The humid heat of spring made everyone long for the arrival of clean, dry summer heat.” (Camus 15) The heat marks an increase in mortality in Oran, and as it gets cooler, deaths begin to decline. The use of these elements helps the reader grasp the sometimes complex ideas presented in the novel.