Title: Moral Preaching, Entertainment and Laughter: The Representation of Life Writing in English Plague Literature

Abstract: In English plague literature, human sentiments and frames of mind are represented by either moral preaching or by jubilation and wine. On the one hand, plague was a metaphor for moral corruption in order to persuade people to behave well, while on the other it offers a picture of moral collapse in wine and pleasure. The apparent conflict between the moral preaching and sensual revelry in the plague literature actually points to the underlying anxiety of the mass. The balance of the two indicates the effort to confront collective anxiety with laughter.  

Keywords: English plague literature, life writing, moral preaching, entertainment, laughter

Author: Xiuli Zhang, Lecturer, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.