Life and Death

Issues of life and death are predominant in the novel as two thirds of the small village die from the plague. Anna is one of the first to experience death, when her lodger, George Viccars, dies followed quickly by neighbors and her own sons. A loving mother, Anna can hardly cope with death and even uses poppy to numb her pain. Like others in the village, part of Anna has died inside and her actions become robotic as she plods through each day. Her memories involve her sons, nature and beauty. Her life during the plague is dark, cold and lonely, especially her cottage, which she dreads facing in the evenings. It is a grim reminder of the emptiness in her life.

However, after the plague is over, Anna has an epiphany of sorts while riding Mompellion's horse. She feels physically alive as she gallops over...