The essay presents the literary debate between R. Barthes and A. Camus, reflecting on the role of history and formal elements in Camus’s well-known novel The Plague. The consideration of critical points of view in the debate requires, as the author believes, reference to theories of the novel as presented by both Barthes and Camus, as well as important critical remarks in the literary exchange of the era, especially considering Sartre’s and Jenson’s understanding of Camus’s work. My intention is to show the grounds for arguments presented after Barthes’s critique, especially in relation to Camus’s understanding of the significance of the novel. In conclusion, this paper gives reasons for considering the literary debate an important proving ground for Barthes’s decision-making, regarding his political and theoretical attitude and his affiliation with the French Marxist movement. I also point out that Barthes’s distinction between “morality of expression” and “morality of explication” does not fully correspond to Camus’s aesthetic theory as presented in The Rebel.