The premise of the novel (Year of Wonders) could be seen as the antithesis of a journey since the villagers voluntarily agree to undertake a quarantine, meaning they literally can't go anywhere. How does this text represent a journey? Although the characters in Year of Wonders are unable to undertake a physical journey due to their actions, their circumstances cause them to embark on numerous spiritual, mental, and emotional journeys throughout the novel. Anna Frith, for example, is forced, during the year of the plague, to overcome the deaths of her sons and family and to take on many new roles that she would not otherwise have. The text also takes the reader on an imaginary journey. With characters who show human failures and their context during a disaster, the text leads the reader to think about how they would react under similar conditions, by placing themselves in the minds of the characters. Finally, the text can also be seen as representing the spiritual and emotional journeys of the other characters in the novel, as they struggle in faith and through the loss of their loved ones. The novel follows Anna Frith, a woman living during the Great Plague. of London in 1666. Her village of Eyam decides to quarantine itself to prevent the spread of disease, and as more and more villagers succumb to it, she must take on many roles and learn skills that she would never have developed otherwise. In doing so, she learns more about herself, what she is capable of and goes on an emotional journey. For example, when a young orphan is threatened with losing her rights, her only source of income, unless she can obtain a dish full of lead, Anna takes it upon herself to help her. This shows both Anna's emotional change since ...... middle of paper ...... which will change as a result of the year of the plague, whether for the better or for the worse. This can be seen as while some characters strive to cope and become stronger people in the end, like Anna and Elinor, the disaster brings out the worst in others, like Josiah Bont. In summary, although the Year of Wonders does not contain an obvious message. , the physical journey, other forms of travel are omnipresent, whether it is the mental and emotional journeys of the various characters or the imaginative journey of the reader. The use of the framing device of the year of the plague supports both, allowing us to see the journeys those faced with hardship must undertake, while providing historical context for the reader's imaginative journey. In this way, Year of Wonders, while appearing at first glance as "the antithesis of travel", strongly represents many different forms of travel..