THE EPIDEMIC AS A MIRROR OF HUMAN NATURE: THE CONCEPT OF THE PLAGUE IN G. BOCCACCIO'S COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES «THE DECAMERON» AND A. CAMUS'S NOVEL «THE PLAGUE»

Abstract

The article explores the concept of plague as an artistic and philosophical phenomenon in Giovanni Boccaccio's collection of short stories “The Decameron” and Albert Camus' novel “The Plague.” The relevance of studying the image of the plague and pandemics in literature is particularly acute in the context of the global challenges of the 21st century, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic. In contemporary humanities studies, there is growing interest in understanding the phenomenon of epidemics as a sociocultural and philosophical phenomenon that reflects the borderline states of human existence. Artistic interpretations of the plague in the literature of different eras make it possible to trace how the true essence of a person and his/her moral and existential orientations are revealed in crisis conditions. Analyzing the artistic strategies of G. Boccaccio (a special composition – a double frame narrative) and A. Camus (a peculiar chronotope, numerous ideological characters), the article allows us to trace the evolution in the perception of biological catastrophe – from the Renaissance vision, focused on humanistic values, to the modern awareness of the absurdity of the world and the responsibility of the individual to others. In G. Boccaccio, the plague appears as a backdrop for revealing the joy of life, the beauty of human relationships, and the moral strength of the individual, while in A. Camus, it is an allegory of totalitarian evil, the absurdity of the world, and the test of human moral freedom. The article outlines common and distinctive aspects of the depiction of the plague, revealing the humanistic and existential dimensions of this image, which represents a universal metaphor for the spiritual crisis of humanity. The image of the plague is metaphorical in both authors: for writers, it is not only a physical disease, but also a universal metaphor for the spiritual crisis of civilisation, which raises questions about the meaning of life, moral responsibility and the limits of humanity, where the epidemic becomes a symbol of great disaster that reveals the true nature of man – fear, selfishness, compassion and sacrifice. In their works, J. Boccaccio and A. Camus show how human values and behaviour change in the face of death: some fall into despair or indifference, while others show humanity and strength of spirit.