Paper Topic:

In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World

The Black Death and the World it Made

Introduction

The Black Death or The Black Plague , as it is known in history , was the worst disaster in medical history to date considering it proportionately (more than 40 percent mortality rate . It was so devastating in its effect that within 3 years time (1347-1350 ) the whole Europe was made aware of its dark presence in spite of the disadvantages of that period in terms of media coverage . The Plague had proven itself to be no respecter of person when it visited and touched every

family from those of the highest in the ladder of society to the lowest - royal families monasteries , and farms . This medieval history is highly significant especially when looked at through the lenses of high technology twenty first century . The threat of mass killings as posed by Bio-Chemical warfare , Mad-Cow-Disease (MCD , Bird-Flu-Virus (BFV , etc , is so pertinent that a close look once again at the historic Black Plague merits anybody 's concern especially those bothered by the threat

What everybody knows about this event in man 's history is only mere fraction of what really occurred . Cantor dug deep into what are new scientific discoveries and the aid of historical research to give a wide-angled and more panoramic vista on the experience of the people of their day

Overview

Well-known medievalist Norman Cantor relates the story of the renowned Black Death afresh with an eye of a Chronicler . In his book In the Wake of the Plague , Cantor narrates the story of the pandemic and its widespread effects with an intention , not only to retell and revive what happened during the spread of the plague , but to inform and quicken the modern reader of the possibility of it happening again in the same proportion that it transpired in the 14th century , or maybe exceeding the mortality rate it has incurred then , if the world behaves indifferently to the prospect

In the Book , the Black Death was viewed from its wide-ranged effect (in Europe 's population ) to its effect to families and individuals . The usual memory etched in the minds of people with regards to this medical disaster is that of gloomy period where the whole population just dropping dead for reasons which no man could ever explain in rational or understandable terms . The issue instilled , because of lack of scholarly approach to this episode in the history of medieval Europe , was the survival aspect . That all the people at that time needed to do was to keep themselves alive . Although this was part of the overall picture this isn 't complete leaving some important details untouched . Norman Cantor , on the other hand , is so keen , in that , he not only has given the overall scenario of the Plague in his book but also the important and compelling details of it . For example , he narrated the early death of princess Joan of England who died at a very young age . He also tells of the death of the newly...

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