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Epidemics in Literature: Literary Dynamics


Affiliations
1 Assistant Professor of English, Vellalar College for Women (Autonomous), Erode, Tamil Nadu, India
 

Humans have experienced and endured harrowing situations and horrors beyond their bounds witnessing wars, holocausts, plagues and the spread of epidemics, floods, famine and numerous natural calamities. The study of epidemics has been a recurring theme of traditional literary motif in Literature for over centuries. Upon the insistence of the epidemic in literature, many writers have explored, illustrated and represented this motif in their literary genres, underscoring not just its terrifying but also emphasizing the importance of nurturing human resilience and ways and means to confront them.

Keywords

Eschatology, Hermeneutics, Human Resilience, Literary Motif, Post Apocalypse, Reception Theory.
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  • Camus A. The Plague. Penguin Books Limited. 2013.

  • Boccaccio G. The Decameron. Penguin Books Limited. 2003.

  • London J. The Scarlet Plague. Dover Publications. 2015.

  • Krishnaswamy N, et al. Contemporary Literary Theory: A Student’s Companion. Trinity Press. 2017.

  • Riva, Michele Augusto. “Pandemic Fear and Literature: Observations from Jack London’s The Scarlet Plague.” Emerging Infectious Diseases, doi: 10.3201/eid2010.130278.

  • Simon, Ed. “On Pandemic and Literature.” The Millions, 2020. themillions.com/2020/03/on-pandemic-and-literature.html.


Abstract Views: 651

PDF Views: 265




  • Epidemics in Literature: Literary Dynamics

Abstract Views: 651  |  PDF Views: 265

Authors

K. Kokila
Assistant Professor of English, Vellalar College for Women (Autonomous), Erode, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract


Humans have experienced and endured harrowing situations and horrors beyond their bounds witnessing wars, holocausts, plagues and the spread of epidemics, floods, famine and numerous natural calamities. The study of epidemics has been a recurring theme of traditional literary motif in Literature for over centuries. Upon the insistence of the epidemic in literature, many writers have explored, illustrated and represented this motif in their literary genres, underscoring not just its terrifying but also emphasizing the importance of nurturing human resilience and ways and means to confront them.

Keywords


Eschatology, Hermeneutics, Human Resilience, Literary Motif, Post Apocalypse, Reception Theory.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.15613/hijrh%2F2021%2Fv8i1%2F209150