A Journal of the Plague Year

experiences of Tadeusz Borowski during his time at Auschwitz. The work provides us with a personal account for a moment in history that seems unimaginable yet in some ways relatable in modern society. Although the book was first published more than fifty years ago, Borowski's brutally honest, and personal, account of one of the most traumatizing moments in human history is helpful by providing us with insights to aid us in our understanding of traumatizing modern events. Borowski's tales…

There are many stories about the terrible and horrific plague. A Journal of the Plague of the Year is a story that reflects it. Daniel Defoe was the writer of the story. Also, he experience the plague. Luckily, he didn't get infected with it and therefore was able to write about the incidents caused by it. The story takes place in London, England. The setting itself is very dark and gloomy, and from the story one gets a feeling of creepiness and spookiness. With this story Defoe wanted to create…

War and disease have almost always been seen as parallel to one another. For instance, in the Judeo-Christian Bible disease and war are two of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Furthermore, French philosopher, Voltaire claimed that they were the “ingredients to a wretched world.” Now in the 21st century, Emmanuel Urey, a student, in response to the Ebola outbreak has added to this metaphor by stating that “[Liberia] just finished fighting a war, and now we have another one.” In other words,…

In addition the plague created an increase in the need for higher education and placing a higher importance on how medicine and physical science work together (Edmonds, 2008). The start of medicine can be contributed to epidemic of the plague because during the Middle Ages the focus was more on practical actions, but following the outbreak the creation of “medicine as a science” (Damen, 2015) came into effect in the West. One can only say that Western medicine came about due to the disturbing…

never hear about massive plague outbreaks in the world thanks to modern medicine. However in the 15th century, the bubonic plague was a highly contagious diseases that started out with symptoms of a cold but led to death. With unadvanced medicine, the hundred thousands of people infected could not be treated. Many times over the course of history in Europe and Asia, thousands of people lots their lives in the massive wipe outs that were caused by the bubonic plague. The plague was already on the…

land and at sea led to the Peloponnesian Wars in 431 BC. Brutal warfare ensued for twenty-seven years, eventually leading to the downfall of Athens. There are many theories as to the reason for Athens demise. One such theory would be the mysterious plague that ravaged the land throughout 430 BC. Approximately one third of the population of Athens fell victim to this unknown epidemic over its four-year course. There are many different theories about what that epidemic could have actually…

at sea led to the Peloponnesian Wars in 431 BC. This war lasted 27 years and was the cause of the fall of Athens. The two main factors that caused Athens to lose the war were the failure to capture Sicily in 415 BC and the mysterious plague that ravaged Athens in 430 BC. Approximately one third of the population of Athens was killed by the plague over its 4-year course. There are many different theories about what that plague could have actually been, but the descriptions that have been…

The plague epidemics of the 6th, 14th, and 17th century are commonly known as Justinian’s Plague, the Black Death, and the Plague of 1665, respectively. Yersinia pestis was the major source of the plague in all three epidemics. Modern DNA analysis studies showed that Y. pestis has a strong correlation with victims of the Black Death in the 14th century. However, although these modern studies show biologically that Yersinia pestis was the cause of the Black Death, many scientists are skeptical…

beyond its fatalistic nature, Smallpox was important in another arena as well; it was the only disease that was successfully eradicated through a collective global health initiative. The Smallpox disease itself mirrors that of three diseases—the Plague of 1665, Ebola, and the Spanish Influenza— examined in the course and the impact of its eradication raises pertinent questions about global health initiatives and the potential threat of biological terrorism. Since Smallpox…

Panoptic Society Plague stricken London is in need of order and discipline. The citizens are fearful and they struggle to find an organized solution. Through different accounts of how society reacts to fear, sickness, and the unknown, one can see proof that society needs to embrace the idea of the Panopticon. Foucault’s chapter of Discipline and Punish, “Panopticism”, tells the reader that the most efficient way to survey a person or group of people is through the Panopticon. The Panopticon is…