Dr. Richard Character Analysis in The Plague

Another colleague of Dr. Rieux’s, the head of the medical association in Oran. When confronted with the potential outbreak of plague, Richard prefers to take a “wait and see” approach rather than alarm the public. He falls to the disease just before he is about to make an optimistic statement about the decreasing death toll.

Dr. Richard Character Timeline in The Plague

The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Richard appears in The Plague. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...swellings) on his neck and limbs have grown and darkened. Rieux calls his colleague Dr. Richard, who says he has also had two patients with similar symptoms. That night M. Michel... (full context)

The narrator returns to his own account, and describes Dr. Rieux’s calls to Dr. Richard, who is also head of the local medical association, and to some of his other... (full context)

...the strongest voices urging immediate action and insisting that the illness is the plague. Dr. Richard drags his feet, saying they are still unsure, and the Prefect also wants to continue... (full context)

Dr. Rieux keeps pressing Richard and the Prefect to take more drastic measures in dealing with the plague, but they... (full context)

...mind. Meanwhile the death toll stops increasing, but still remains at “high-water mark,” and Dr. Richard succumbs to the plague just before he is supposed to make an optimistic statement to... (full context)