A Journal Of The Plague Year

The narrator is a Christian, upper-class man who could afford to flee London with his brother but chooses not to because of his belief that God wants him to stay and will protect him. He wavers in this belief and occasionally views it as a folly as the plague reaches its height. However, his account, written some years after the plague, is firm in its belief that the disease is a result of God’s judgment. In the past-tense events he narrates, he shows himself chastising and scolding other Londoners for their rude and unneighborly behavior during a time of public calamity. He claims to have written his journal both to relay the true horror of the events of 1665, and to provide insight and instruction to future generations and cities should they be afflicted with a similar outbreak of disease. The narrator rarely shows himself in intimate conversation with friends or loved ones, thus providing little insight into his character or personal life, but he does share that he survived the plague with the help of his servants, the advice of his friend Doctor Heath, and his ample use of caution in interacting with others.