Year of Wonders

In the novel ‘Year of Wonders’, written by Geraldine Brooks, the characters who survived the plague in the small English village, Eyam in 1665-1666 all transform in extensive ways. Those characters who survive the bubonic plague all experience dramatic changes in meaningful ways. These changes are displayed in the characters Anna Frith, Michael Mompellion and Elinor Mompellion. The plague has pushed Anna Frith to react in unexpected ways as she displays change, leading her to move overseas and attempt to start her life fresh. Michael Mompellion also shows that because of the plague, he has been brought to the point of where the one he loves most, Elinor Mompellion, is murdered. The murder makes Michael resign as a rector and start to doubt God. Elinor and Aphra also experience change in different ways as Elinor’s trust and compassion for others grows and Aphra turns to witchcraft, in which both impulses result in the death of each of them. This is all clear confirmation showing that through the book where characters such as those mentioned continue to exist through the tragedy that occurred in Eyam, 1665-1666 and evolve in significant ways.

Anna Frith, the main character in ‘Year of Wonders’ is one of the many that survived the plague. She was pushed to extreme lengths as a result of grief, faith and fear which influenced her to change. Anna’s faith and fear caused her to help others in need and put them before herself. Initially, Anna motivates herself to keep moving forward and not giving herself time to mourn, with the support of Elinor. Unlike other household servants, Anna learned to read and write. Her fears and faith have taught her to stick up for herself, doing things in which she thought was the right thing to do. Anna has learned to stick up for herself and has learned the practices of a mid wife. This has led her to follow her passion and heart to places away from England, changing her life positively and for the benefit of herself and others. Anna has experienced deaths and the tragedy of the plague, it has woke her up in a sense that she now realizes even she can bring hope to those in need. Anna betters herself due to her overcoming the plague, and learns that even little signs of hope and faith are enough reason to make the most of her life.

Michael Mompellion is another character who shows a significant change due to the plague. Throughout the novel, Michael is the town’s rector. He is taught to preach about God to the community. However, due to the plague and the causes it has brought forward to his life, in this case the death Elinor, Michael breaks down and begins to question God, something he would never imagine doing had the plague never existed. Michael questions if the plague was truly “a test of faith sent by God, or evil working of the devil in the world?” As he lives life without Elinor he becomes depressed and miserable, causing him to resign his role as rector, and by the end of the novel, due to his terrors that he had suffered with, surviving the plague era has caused him to change himself negatively but walking away from the puritan practices all together.

Elinor and Aphra both survive the outbreak of the plague, although they are two characters that both die due to the plague but for different reasons. Aphra was a tough female who had coped with her husband’s abuse, had lost her husband and her daughter because of the plague, causing her to be alone and troubled, with her grief leading her to witchcraft. Towards the end of the novel, Aphra becomes disturbed and filled with evil. Elinor’s way of surviving the deadly disease was through her sympathy towards others. It didn’t matter who the person was, her “motherly concern” has brought her to feel compassionate for those how are in need of comfort. Surviving the plague and the occurrence that both women have dealt with through out the novel, Aphra’s breakdown and Elinor’s affection and understanding concern, led them both to their tragic deaths.

In conclusion, the examples mentioned are all obvious demonstrations that characters within the novel have shown drastic transformation, whether it be for better or for worse. Characters such as Anna, Michael, Elinor and Aphra are all one of several characters that have survived the affliction and have experienced immense transformations in considerable ways.