SparkNotes: The Plague: Review Quiz

Who is the narrator of The Plague?

(A) Jean Tarrou

(B) Joseph Grand

(C) Dr. Bernard Rieux

(D) Cottard

How does Dr. Rieux describe the phenomenon of dying rats?

(A) He uses the metaphors of disease, specifically the bubonic plague

(B) He describes is as if it were an earthquake

(C) He doesn't describe it because he isn't the narrator of The Plague

(D) He describes it with the metaphors of a rainstorm

What does Dr. Rieux consider humankind's only real vice?

(A) Ignorance

(B) Cruelty

(C) Hypocrisy

(D) Hatred

How does Cottard react to the arrival of the plague?

(A) He welcomes it with open arms

(B) He immediately tries to flee the city

(C) He joins the anti-plague efforts immediately

(D) He becomes despondent and morose

How does the public first react to the total quarantine of Oran?

(A) They react with a selfish obsession for their own personal suffering

(B) They indulge in careless entertainment

(C) They suffer intense longing for absent loved ones

(D) All of the above

Who does the narrator of The Plague offer as a "hero?"

(A) Joseph Grand

(B) Cottard

(C) Tarrou

(D) Othon

How does Paneloux interpret the plague in his first sermon?

(A) He states that the plague disproves the existence of God

(B) He states that the plague is a sign of the Apocalypse

(C) He states that the plague is a God-sent punishment for Oran's sins

(D) He declares that the plague is a sign that Oran needs to practice more human compassion

How does Rieux's asthma patient mark time?

(A) He uses a watch

(B) He counts peas from one pan into another at a regulated speed.

(C) He doesn't mark time at all because he thinks it restricts his freedom

(D) None of the above

How does the police inspector react to Cottard's attempted suicide?

(A) He reacts with sincere sympathy

(B) He asks Rieux to commit Cottard to a mental institution

(C) He criticizes Cottard for disturbing the peace

(D) He arrests Cottard

What crime did Cottard commit in the past?

(A) Murder

(B) He doesn't name his crime

(C) Theft

(D) Smuggling

What is Rambert's profession?

(A) Journalist

(B) Doctor

(C) Actor

(D) Lawyer

Why did Grand's wife leave him?

(A) He was an abusive husband

(B) He was an adulterer

(C) She was bored with their monotonous, stale marriage

(D) None of the above

How does Paneloux interpret the plague in his second sermon?

(A) He states that the plague is a supreme test of faith

(B) He states that the plague is a punishment for Oran's sins

(C) He states that God sent the plague to kill children as punishment for their parents' sins

(D) All of the above

Who is the first victim of the plague?

(A) Rieux's wife

(B) M. Michel

(C) Othon's son

(D) Tarrou

What does the narrator of The Plague implicitly criticize in Oran society?

(A) Its empty commercialism

(B) Its habits.

(C) Its indifference to suffering.

(D) All of the above

What is Grand's favorite hobby?

(A) Going to the movies

(B) Writing a book

(C) Statistics

(D) Making money

How does Tarrou help with the anti-plague effort?

(A) He implements an effective plan to recruit volunteers for the sanitation league

(B) He doesn't help because he escapes Oran to rejoin his wife in Paris

(C) He attends to the plague statistics to help the sanitation league perform its duties effectively

(D) He doesn't help because he is delighted by the epidemic

What does Tarrou think the plague symbolizes?

(A) God's power to punish sinners

(B) Humankind's capacity for cruelty

(C) Human indifference

(D) Hatred

How does Rieux react to the news of his wife's death?

(A) He reacts with composure

(B) He commits suicide

(C) He reacts with indifference

(D) He wishes he had escaped Oran to be with his wife, like Rambert

Why does Paneloux refuse to consult a doctor when he falls ill?

(A) He believes he deserves to be punished for his sins

(B) He wants to die

(C) He wants to place his fate entirely in the hands of divine Providence

(D) He knows he is going to die, so it's no use

How would Rieux's philosophy best be characterized?

(A) Transcendentalism

(B) A mixture of Existentialism and Humanism

(C) Nihilism

(D) None of the above

Who is responsible for fighting the plague?

(A) The city government

(B) Everyone

(C) The French colonial government

(D) Doctors

How does Tarrou react when he contracts the plague?

(A) He struggles for his life

(B) He passively accepts his death

(C) He refuses to consult a doctor

(D) He asks Dr. Rieux not to tell him what his chances are

What does Rieux do when it becomes clear that the anti-plague efforts aren't effective?

(A) He gives up and flees the city

(B) He commits suicide

(C) He continues putting all his efforts into fighting the plague

(D) None of the above

Why does Tarrou oppose forcing criminals to join the anti-plague league?

(A) He doesn't think that they will work hard enough

(B) He doesn't believe in condemning anyone to death

(C) He is afraid the prisoners will have too many chances to escape

(D) The city government's efforts to recruit volunteers are effective, so it isn't necessary