Introduction
For centuries, disease has been a “Specter” that has haunted human societies and defined the stories and attitudes of societies towards it. Since the immemorial period to sophisticated ages, infections of diseases and related other social dynamics like politics and economics have always somehow remote-controlled each other. Here, I shall discuss the diverse depictions of disease, which focus on issues like government control and popular resistance. Consequently, I will focus my discussion on the works “Journal of the Plague Year” by Daniel Defoe and “Outbreak”, which will help to explain the complex bond between authorities and society in situations like this.
In the novel “Journal of the Plague Year”, Daniel Defoe creates a somewhat gloomy history of London’s struggle against the bubonic plague in 1665. The author depicts the experience of an unidentified narrator, in particular, who gives us a vivid account with a description of the horrible plague and its effects on communities and city authorities. In another way (another case), the film “Outbreak” features a hypothetical situation of a deadly new virus sweeping the state of California quickly. Agitated politics and the discussion of public health torn shares and confronts individual rights government staffs in expanded campaigns with the aim of containing the Outbreak.
In the wild in each book, the plot surrounds the problems of attracting active government deals, etc., in which the ways of dealing with the catastrophe are portrayed. The thematic analysis in this paper aims to magnify the complex ways human beings deal with the power structure and rigid rules at the time of the epidemic outbreak. In conclusion, the essentiality of governmental control and community balancing around disasters, which become a basis for disease narrative, was formatted as the focus of this exploration.
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Quarantine
Quarantine acts as an integral part of epidemic management in both “Journal of the Plague Year” and “Outbreak.” In Defoe’s novel, it is portrayed as a mandatory but disputed measure taken by the authorities to prevent the further spread of the disease (Defoe). The way the protagonist notices the quarantine operation’s impact and how people respond to its imposition reveals the pattern of social reaction to the administration of human rights. In “Outbreak”, the introduction of containment measures provokes fear and discontent among the residents who decline collective health in order to keep their liberty and freedom (Outbreak). Through scrutinization of the way isolation periods are depicted in these two works, it is possible to learn about the delicate equation that Governments (sometimes face) during epidemics where their public health concerns and the fundamental liberties of their constituents must be considered.
The way Defoe showed the authorities’ approach to the epidemics in the historical period when he wrote the book “Journal of the Plague Year” demonstrates seventeenth-century socio-cultural attitudes in late-seventeenth-century England. The bubonic plague of 1665 was among the worst diseases ever recorded in history. In order to stop the disease, authorities enforced quarantine rules and restricted the movement of infectious people (Defoe). Through the protagonist’s eyes, we find the reality of the quarantine practices, the government’s measures and the socio-political tension between health needs and individual liberties that these practices bring. Although people are aware of the necessity of such measures as quarantine to kill the epidemic, they still feel dread and animosity, which makes a comparison with the questions of personal freedom and health unavoidable.
Also, in “Outbreak,” a film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, disease quarantine becomes the central theme in the government’s strategy for dealing with a deadly virus outbreak. In the principal city of Cedar Creek across the fiction field, the government first issued movement restrictions, leading to quarantine measures and the stagnation of the contagion outbreak (Outbreak). Nevertheless, quarantine, which inevitably provokes discontent among the people, manifests that such issues go beyond health protection and reach the very roots of the government and people’s natural rights. The film’s implication of isolation shows that the efficient handling of disease pandemics is not always easy in democratic countries; reaching a balance point between public health necessities and private liberties is a constant concern.
Upon the final notes of the essay, the role of the storyline in both Defoe’s “Journal of the Plague Year” and “Outbreak” shows that there are lessons on disease management and government control as we experience outbreaks. Through scrutinizing the way quarantine is captured in these stories, we are able to obtain a profound insight into how societies harmonize the problematic contradiction between strictly enforced public health measures and human freedoms in times of crisis.
Government Conspiracy
The topic of the two texts, Defoe’s “Analog of a Plague Year” and the film “Outbreak,” are going to government authority and managing disease-related issues. In Defoe’s novel, characterizations of the government become more and more untrue, suspicious, and suspicious as the plague spreads among the populace, thus leading to wide disagreement (Defoe). The many dialogues between the protagonist and representatives of various institutions, as well as the authorities during such period in the story, disparage several sides of the game that appear during crises, which could be called the secret nature of governmental actions during such times. In the face of the plague pandemic and an increase in controversies about the transparency of the power, the crowds start wondering about the trustworthiness and reliability of the charge.
Furthermore, “Outbreak” presents a scenario of government officials making political agendas above public health matters. This results in terrible health for the community. During the devastation of the Motaba virus, administrative infighting introduced by secrecy reduced these practical contrivances. Bleak politics, as portrayed by government officials who misrepresent facts and prioritize their desires over the people’s welfare, illustrates the destructive nature of power without limits and the loss of confidence in the people’s officials. The movie portrays government conspiracy because of which the film critiques the use of power in its undesirable aspects and the negative impacts of political vested interests on the health outcomes of the population.
The theme of government conspiracy in both of these works by authors, therefore, highlights the society’s anxiety from all the betrayal and untrustworthiness of the government officials during the crises. The fact that in Defoe’s narrative, the stories and blames of people are in great measure is evidence of the historical tendency of governments towards public health concerns emergencies. In the same way, the Outbreak accentuates fears related to the present issues of secrecy and responsibility of the government in the case of infectious diseases. The depiction of government conspiracy shows the two works turning to audiences to assess the role of authority as to the course of diseases. Also, the challenge of uncontrolled power to the public’s loyalties and the public’s good should be recognized by the viewers.
Therefore, it can be highlighted that the concept of government conspiracy in the literary works “Journal of the Plague Year” and “Outbreak” is portrayed as a symbol of the complexity of human immunodeficiency management and governance during the crisis stages. The works demonstrate the transparency issues of the governments and the consequences of politicizing the process on public health results. Also, they offer the readers good perspectives of how necessary it is to always have the trust and accountability elements in place during the time of disease outbreaks.
Social Resistance
In both the novel “A Journal of the Plague Year” by Daniel Defoe and the movie “Outbreak”, social resistance is a central theme, emphasizing resistance and defiance of the community in the face of crisis. In Defoe’s novel “Journal of the Plague Year,” some citizens rebel against the confinement laws and inflict daring actions to affirm the autonomy of man in front of the state power (Defoe). The main character’s encounters with a multitude of characters in the story show the ways in which people make exceptions to official rules for the sake of living. Through their acts of defiance, these individuals make a statement about the inadequacy of the tyrannical disease management strategies that rely on top-down approaches and the need for community cohesion if we are to survive the crisis.
The film, “Outbreak”, also shows people coming together to resist the oppressive measures by the government and find other ways of solving the crisis (Outbreak). In the movie Cedar Creek, a community makes a stand against a virus as people living there and medical practitioners team up to fight the authorities and keep them on their toes. The portrayal of social resistance in the film reveals the power of ordinary people in the determinism of responses to disease outbreaks. Also, it emphasizes the necessity of grassroots activism in resisting suppressive systems.
On the other side of the canvas, both works illustrate social resistance, and they prompt a representation of the complexity of a democratic society when a disease outbreak occurs, and ordinary people start playing their part in the design of the reaction to such a crisis. In Defoe’s novel, the protagonist’s disobedience towards quarantine measures and the pursuit of individual autonomy exemplify broader social conflicts between the power of the State and individual rights. Furthermore, “Outbreak” reflects on current issues such as the government’s overreach into private lives or the diminishing of personal freedoms in the name of public health.
In conclusion, the presentation of social resistance in Defoe’s “Journal of the Plague Year” and “Outbreak” refocuses on the role of ordinary citizens in deciding the responses to disease epidemics and in sparking political awakening. Both community’s stories demonstrate their resilience and resistance in the face of challenges and show the complexities of managing public health emergencies in a democracy.
Conclusion
The representation of government control and resistance in depictions of disease will give us helpful information about the intricate nature of crisis management in public health. The journalist Defoe seems to talk about the emotional aspects of the quarantines as a survival instinct and is not dealing with the government conspiracy. At the same time, the film “Outbreak” is more directed at how a single government conspiracy is dealing with outbreaks. Much of the novels underline the worthy role of public health concerns and individual freedoms’ delicate balance in combating epidemics. Finally, the representations of this display the idea of using translucent and equitable ways to manage diseases with the vision of health, the public and the liberties of individuals altogether. Suppose we recognize the significance of community participation and consider the role of the ordinary in the creation of public health responses. In that case, societies can eventually respond and mitigate the impact of such an impending health crisis.
Work Cited
Defoe, Daniel. A Journal of the Plague Year. Vol. 9, D. Estes & Company, 1904.
Outbreak. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Warner Bros., 1995.
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