30 pages • 1 hour read
Daniel DefoeA Journal Of The Plague Year
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1722A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Bills of Death
Bills of Death for the various neighborhoods in and around London—and in England more broadly—appear throughout the text. These bills require close reading, as they include hidden information: for example, deaths listed under other diseases might be deaths by the plague that are intentionally concealed by families or the government. Likewise, a decline in deaths in some neighborhoods may indicate the end of the illness. These statistics are thus a tool for “divination,” similar to the dreams and astrological charts that Defoe dismisses outright, although they are of course based more strongly in reality.
Self-Preservation
Many of the stories the narrator praises are those of self-preservation. The story of John the Biscuit Baker is exemplary in this respect. The narrator praises those who anchor their ships, close up their houses, and store up sufficient provisions to resist the communication of disease.
At various points, the narrator writes that his journals should serve as a sort of advice towards future generations. Although he at various points celebrates the fact that London was not entirely deserted and condemns doctors and clergymen who left, his final advice does suggest that the best medicine for the plague is to run away from it. Seen through this lens, the text is also a guide for self-preservation.
Oral Communication
The plague is communicated by breath, as the narrator states throughout. His doctor advises him to cover his mouth when he goes out, and at moments of extreme fear, he isolates himself from his fellow man. However, most of the stories relayed in this narrative are also communicated orally, as there were no newspapers. Getting news of the plague and its progress in the city thus requires risking infection. The narrator in particular must have conversed with a number of people to gather the tales amassed in this book, thus risking his life many times. Although he frequently chides people for insufficient cautiousness, his journal would be evidence of his own carelessness in oral communication.
Abjection and Despair
In a narrative about a devastating plague, there are many stories of abjection. Every few pages, the narrator relates the story of an infected person jumping into a river, setting himself on fire, or killing himself in order to avoid the torture of the plague. It is difficult to convey the full strength of the plague and the horrors of its year-long spread through London. The narrator tries several strategies, however, to communicate it, describing some cases of illness in deep detail, describing many cases of illness overall, and frequently reminding the reader that even these examples are insufficient to convey the full horror of what started in 1664.
Related Titles
By Daniel Defoe
