The Plagueand

Daniel Defoe

The Great Plague of London1665-1666Last and worstKilled 70,000+Carried by fleas living on black ratsFever & chills, swelling of lymph glands, madness, deathDidn’t know what caused it or how to control it

Spread quickly by poor conditionsCross on doors of infected housesQuarantined“Bring out your dead!”Mass gravesCharles II fled with family, as did others well off

The Great Plague of London

Daniel Defoe

1660-1731Well-educated but a shadybusiness man, bankruptHappily married 47 yearsAdded “De” to appear aristocraticModern realistic novel

Incredibly convincingRobinson Crusoe sold as nonfictionA Journal of the Plague Year

A Journal of the Plague Year

Diary/journal = daily account of a writer’s experiences and reactions; often provide historical insightFirst-person narrative = narrator describes own experiences, refers to self as “I”

Defoe’s book NOT actually a journal!

A Journal of the Plague Year

FictionWrote in form of a journal but NOT a journalDefoe was only 4 when the Plague happenedUsed official documents, interviews, childhood memories to make up the Journal