丹尼爾•狄福的「大疫年紀事」是紀實小說中的經典•它將微生物學與人類行為心理學融入了文學中•此書透過敘述者的雙眼描繪出西元一六六五年倫敦鼠疫橫行時的景象•這本小說不單只是描述了當時的情景，它可被視為動盪時期人類行為指標的一本著作•狄福鮮明生動地描寫了鼠疫所帶來的苦難、恐怖，更重要的是，他也道出了當時社會與人們的反應•
狄福在「大疫年紀事」裡模糊了現實與虛構的分隔線•他以大量事實資料為基礎寫了這本小說•而這本小說很可能在當時是以挑起社會大眾對傳染病的憂患意識為目的而存在的•部分學者懷疑這本小說只是當時政府瘟疫政策的官方宣傳工具•無論如何，不爭的是這本著作至今仍是瘟疫文學與紀實小說中的里程碑•
此篇論文旨在分析瘟疫與人類之間的關係•值得觀察的是：瘟疫如何使人類在深度恐懼中改變他們的行為並引出人性中最為常見的一些缺陷如：相互猜忌、偏執妄想、迷信、投機、瘋狂、憤怒、敵視•人類心靈的脆弱與軟弱在疫病橫行時期特別易見，不久前的SARS疫情便將上述情況表露無遺•不可避免的，在人類眼中，瘟疫的毀滅性特質使它被視為邪惡的•然而，從另一角度剖析的話，可以發現瘟疫正面且具建設性的面貌而非只是單純負面的特質•
人們傾向在宗教上尋求慰藉、答案、與精神上的支柱•有誠心虔敬將自己獻給宗教的人，當然也有完全相反的人•在論文後部分，我們將探討宗教所扮演的重要角色：與疫病那股能使人瘋狂的力量相抗衡•

Viruses are microscopic biological organisms offensive in nature. Human beings have been combating viruses since times remote. Some battles were won, but never the war. One of the most eminent and destructive epidemics throughout human history is the bubonic plague, better known as the Black Death. Since its first attack on human beings, the casualty count produced by the bubonic plague has been astronomical. The epidemics not only inflict damage physically, but also psychologically on human beings. It is remarkable how such nearly invisible agents can instill so much fear in humans.
Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year is a masterpiece in journalistic fiction which brings literature, microbiology, and human behavioral psychology together. The book simply describes scenes from the 1665 London bubonic plague attack through the eyes of a narrator amidst the turmoil. However, it also serves as a guide book to human behavior in desperate times. Defoe vividly describes the plague, the suffering, the horror, and most importantly, the society, the people, and their reactions.
With the Journal, Defoe blurred the line between factual and fictitious writing. He wrote a fiction based on factual data which very probably served as a warning aimed at public awareness towards epidemics. Some suspect that the Journal was merely an instrument of government propaganda; whichever the case, this book still constitutes as a milestone in epidemic literature as well as journalistic fiction.
This thesis aims mainly at analyzing the relationship between the plague and humans. It is interesting to observe how the plague changed human behavior and induced some of the most common flaws in human character out of deep fear: mutual distrust, paranoia, superstition, opportunism, madness, anger, and hostility. The fragility and vulnerability of the human psyche are exposed in epidemic times such as in the recent SARS outbreak. Unavoidably, the destructiveness of the plague makes it evil in human eyes. However, it is possible to discover the positive and constructive sides of the plague instead of just the negative attributes.
People tend to rely on religion in seeking comfort, explanation, and spiritual support. There are people who devote themselves to religion as well as those who choose a different path. At the end of the discussion, we take a look at how religion plays an important role in counteracting the epidemics’ delirious effect on human beings.

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………i
Introduction………………………………………………………………………1
Chapter One: Narrative Techniques in A Journal of the Plague Year……..…9
Chapter Two: The Dual Sides of the Bubonic Plague and Its
Psychological Impact on the London Populace………..…….25
Chapter Three: Religious Elements in the Bubonic Plague……..……….….71
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………91
Notes………………………………………………………………………….....94
Works Cited……………………………………………………………………..97

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