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A Journal of the Plague Year

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A Journal of the Plague Year
There is a certin unsureness in the circulation and communication of information in A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe. This instability of the language in this proto-novel is caused by the author citing two sides to every point or statement he makes causing contradictions. On top of this Defoe repeats the same points throughout the entire text. This uncertainty helps to make the reader believe the writing is an actual journal as opposed to an edited, actual non-fiction. A Journal of the Plague Year starts out with the narrator, H.F., discussing the issue of staying at his residence with the plague on its way or leaving before the plague hits his section of the town H.F. changes his mind several times stating both the reasons for leaving or staying. He puts his faith in God and trusts Him "with [his] Safety and Health" (pg 9) and his brother changes H.F.'s mind by telling him that he can trust God to preserve his goods the same way he trusts God with his life. H.F. prepares to leave, but is unable to obtain a horse and the servant he was planning to leave with left without him. H.F. decides to stay home because he "always found that to appoint to go away was always cross'd by sme Accident or other' so as to disappoint and put off again" (pg 10). He felt it was the "Will of Heaven" (pg 11) to stay. This conversation between the brothers seems personal like something that would be written in a journal. His opinion and feelings of religion play a large part on his decision to stay and document the epidemic. H.F. contradicts his personal feelings because this journal is supposed to give its audience advice on what to do if the plague strikes their town. When he speaks of his bad omens he says "this brings in a Story which otherwise might be a needless Digression, about these Disappointments being from Heaven." (pg10). Then H.F. continues in the next paragraph with " I mention this Story also as the best Method I can advise any Person to take in
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