A Year of Wonders

Year of Wonders is a chronicle of great courage in the face of extreme adversity discuss. A Year of Wonders, written by Geraldine Brooks is based during an era that represents a challenging time in taradiddle where original ideologies of religion is confronted by the effects of a catastrophic disease known as the black blighter. Because traditional remedies through religious rituals proved ineffective, sum of money beliefs were questioned and faith waned. How does one respond through such calamities where a cure seemingly ceased to exist?Strength, bravery and tenacity through specific females in the wise demonstrated how individuals eject respond in an exceptional manner in horrific situations. As well as highlighting the constructive effects, Geraldine Brooks as well as points out how a dissimilar outcome corporation also be created where iniquitous behaviour is resulted instead. Despite this, it is clear that although the write acknowledges the negative results, she tries to emphasise the terrific abilities instead through her narration of the novel A Year of Wonders.The heroine of the novel, Anna Frith is a symbol of hope. She represents the underdog, a timber for which has no significant importance in participation, unless as the story unfolds and her town becomes the breeding ground for a deathly infestation, she rises above her original character, an ordinary maid, and is transformed instead into a hero for her community. Her subservientness is illustrated through her selfless act in which she helps Merry Wickford, a young orphaned girl who lost her family to the plague.To prevent Merry from living a black future in a poorhouse, Anna embarks on a dangerous mission to attain the required dose of lead in the Wickford mine. Such an act held legion(predicate) potential dangers, although aware, Anna continued with her pursuit. Described as the one good, perhaps, to come out of that terrible year, Anna is a clear example of how arduous times can make heroes of us. Independent, unconventional and unique are the words that describe Anys and Mem Gowdie. Their courage is shown through their decision to not conform to their communitys ideas.They represented a different group of women in their society, one who was not a mans chattel and was still able to manage alone as a woman in the world. Such behaviour was unheard of in their society, their differences were not welcomed in the town in which they resided and many despised them for behaving as they did. As tensions rose due to the death toll from the plague increasing, any strange behaviours were questioned. Anys and Mem represented strange but despite this, they stayed true to their character from move to finish.Only the brave can stand against the perceived normal, against the ideas of what is right in the eyes of the majority and Anys and Mem are two symbolic figures who were bold enough to challenge the norm. conflicting the aforementioned, Aphra is a character who resp onds to adversity in a manner that can only be described as destructive and damaging. In the circumstance of plague in this time frame where cures were unknown, people become desperate for any remedies that may prove effective.Aphra takes advantage of these insecurities of fear and distress and exploits it for her own selfish gains. comprise as Anys Gowdies ghost, she deceives her community by selling fake charms at night which were assumed to provide cure to the disease but instead were scarce a way to make profit of the situation. Another example demonstrating Aphras detrimental means to survive is through her most climatic experience, the death of her children.This is last event for which her personality is transformed dramatically where her rational is lost completely as a coping mechanism for the loss of her kin. Harbouring a wealth of superstitions in her simple mind, the situation in which she is placed only further fuels these thoughts which eventually drives her into a s tate of insanity and hysteria. Her growing madness leads her to keep her child, organized religions deadly corpse for torturous superstitious reasons and eventually to the most climatic event in the novel, the bloody murder of Elinor Mompellion and her own gruesome suicide.Through the character Aphra, Geraldine Brooks is able to illustrate how adverse times can also make monsters of us. A Year of Wonders demonstrates how people are changed by cataclysm. These changes lead to the establishment of one of two persons a hero or a monster. Geraldine Brooks created characters such as Anna Frith and the Gowdies to highlight how individuals can use tragedy as the catalyst for good change such as valor, fortitude and tenacity.Although being largely based on celebrating such personalities, the author also takes into account of the opposing reactions. Aphra exemplifies wicked behaviour through her exploitative activities and corruptive mindset. Through this approach of contrasting two opposit e reactions of the same environment, the story shows realism as it relates to how people of todays society can respond to such conflict. By characterising these reactions, Geraldine Brooks is able to effectively mirror the responses of society in her powerfully dramatic tale.