Indeed, the narrator often points out that war and pestilence are both uncontrollable, unpredictable aspects of the human condition that bring senseless suffering. The mass graves, the militaristic occupation of Oran, and even the "deratization" vehicle that rattles through the town like a machine gun all contribute to the feeling that Oran is at war. Oran is quickly made parallel to a war zone after the outbreak of the plague. Still, the reader’s indifference to dead rats is like the universe’s indifference to dead people. When they thrive at the end, that is a positive sign that humans in Oran will too. Although they seem ominous, they are harmless parallels and portents of the human condition rather than a threat to humanity. They die in the streets, on playgrounds, in businesses…and then people follow suit. The rats don’t simply symbolize the plague.
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