Year Of Wonders Analysis Essay Example

system has let her down. Given that God appears to be unresponsive to their pleas, many villagers resort to fear-driven alternative measures to fight against the plague.

Amongst the villagers coping with the plague, a few turn to black magic, while others, like John Gordon, become devoted religious fanatics as a form of atonement for their sins. The hardship of the constant reminder of death through the plague leads them to contemplate the afterlife, past sins, and ultimate judgment by God. John Gordon goes to the extreme end of the scale by becoming a flagellant to atone for his sins, even forcing his wife to fast for a fortnight. He believes that Mompellion is wrong in not acknowledging the plague as God's wrath made manifest.

According to the text, the belief is that all villagers should fear God and confess all their sins in public. This is not merely for one's own atonement, but rather out of fear of God's wrath and punishment. This belief can also be applied to Jakob Merrill, who expresses a desire to atone for his sins against his wife. The constant reminder of death from the plague instills fear in Jakob, causing him to seek forgiveness so that he won't be punished for his sins. The notion that people become devout out of fear is prevalent in society and is similar to those who use talismans to find answers.

Anna Frith adopts a scientific approach to combat the plague, becoming a prominent character. She discovers that everyone, including herself, attributes the cause of the Plague to unseen forces. Anna begins questioning religion and ponders whether the villagers should focus more

on researching how the Plague spreads rather than contemplating why God afflicted them. She believes that by relying on sound research rather than religious theories about Satan or divine wrath, they could potentially save their lives. Anna's shift away from religion signifies her move towards nature, science, and obtaining more knowledge. As she questions if they can view the Plague as a natural occurrence, the battle between God and nature intensifies.

The concept of holistic thinking is brought to light in relation to the community's beliefs during this time. Due to a lack of knowledge on disease, it was daring for individuals to stray from religion as a source of understanding. In the absence of answers, people were prone to turning towards metaphysical explanations that aligned with the "grand celestial design" of God. Elinor Mompellion, an intellectual and teacher to Anna Frith, shared her naturalistic approach through the use of herb lore to help the village combat the plague. Both women agree that a scientific and systematic approach is necessary in addressing the disease.

Elinor Mompellion employs a visual mapping technique to comprehend the proliferation of the pestilence and its victims. She aims to establish links between them and determine how the bubonic plague spreads and infects individuals, irrespective of their moral standing. Rather than seeking repentance from the savior, she seeks to equip healthy people with tools to avert contracting the disease. This approach utilizes scientific methodologies and challenges the true nature of the plague, highlighting a contemporary mindset that shifts away from metaphysical beliefs. The trying times of the bubonic plague in Eyam instill fear and desperation in people who crave answers.

The Year

of Wonders depicts how people behave differently due to their lack of knowledge. The novel uses three examples to illustrate this: superstition, black magic, extreme religious behavior (such as the flagellant practices), and a scientific approach ahead of its time.

As one reads through Geraldine Brook's Year of Wonders, they may notice a prevalent theme among the characters. Despite their differing paths, they share a common desperation to solve an exceedingly difficult puzzle through their own personal beliefs.