Year of Wonders discussion

[TheCommando]

Hey guys, thought i'd make a thread to try and create discussions for this book so that we all can greatly benifit from each other's knowledge as well as analysis of the book with evidence and explanation. This would be greatly appreciated if u could send me your input

I'll start, my question is: why exactly is the town so outraged, especially Mr. Mompellion due to Colonel Bradford  and his family leaving

[literally lauren]

I'll start, my question is: why exactly is the town so outraged, especially Mr. Mompellion due to Colonel Bradford  and his family leaving

It basically boils down to Mompellion's fears that if the Bradfords leave, other villagers will be emboldened to leave as well, and their attempts to quarantine themselves would ultimately be futile, and plague would spread regardless.

See: this very telling quote about Mompellion's moralistic values:

"For I will certainly stand and face the lion if, by running, I would cause the beast to follow me, and thus draw him closer to the dwelling places of innocents who demand protection."

You could also argue there's some risk of them spreading the plague by leaving, but the question of their influence is the more interesting point. Bradford's defence is that he's basically selfish and doesn't give a damn, so since he has the means to help his family escape, he does. So he's ostensibly an indictment of the egocentric, self-serving way some people respond to challenges.

As for Mompellion's anger... he more or less curses Bradford after he leaves, warning him that he'll incur a worse fate than plague - specifically that of God's judgement and vengeance. By leaving, Bradford puts his own and his family's needs above that of Eyam and potentially England as a whole, which flies in the face of Mompellion's mostly/seemingly altruistic values.

Hope that answers your questions! Let me know if there's anything else in the novel that you're unsure about!

[Quantum44]

This is a great idea.

I was wondering if anyone has found any interesting structural features in the novel? Particularly symbols and motifs.

The rotten apple seems to come up a lot although I'm not quite sure what it represents. Anteros is named after a God of required love. Other than that the novel seems sparse in terms of being able to closely analyse the language.

The tense changes are also interesting but again I'm not too sure what to make of them.

[lyoko]

This is a great idea.

I was wondering if anyone has found any interesting structural features in the novel? Particularly symbols and motifs.

The rotten apple seems to come up a lot although I'm not quite sure what it represents. Anteros is named after a God of required love. Other than that the novel seems sparse in terms of being able to closely analyse the language.

The tense changes are also interesting but again I'm not too sure what to make of them.

Yes I agree with you, this is indeed a great idea. Thanks TheCommando for beginning it

I've notice that as well; the rotten apples do appear quite predominately throughout the text. A quick google search has given me this explanation 'decay caused by the plague. It becomes a reminder of how things that once brought comfort can now bring pain'. I'll let you know what I make of it, when I have finish re-reading the novel.

[literally lauren]

This is a great idea.

I was wondering if anyone has found any interesting structural features in the novel? Particularly symbols and motifs.

The rotten apple seems to come up a lot although I'm not quite sure what it represents. Anteros is named after a God of required love. Other than that the novel seems sparse in terms of being able to closely analyse the language.

The tense changes are also interesting but again I'm not too sure what to make of them.

Couple of structural features worth noting:

- The most prominent would be the rotting apples which, as lyoko noted, are symbols of decay and thus serve as a rather harrowing reminder of what Anna and Eyam went through (in the first Apple-picking Time chapter, she says something like "I can't stand the smell of rotting apples anymore" which suggests she is still haunted by the trauma). I've also read essays that argue the apples are a symbol for the state of Eyam (and thus Anna's realisation that she can no longer "stand the smell" is an indictment of her desire to leave and seek freedom/happiness elsewhere).

- Another fairly obvious one is the fire in the Great Burning chapter, which represents destruction, but also cleansing. And it is at this point in the novel where Elinor is killed (read: Mompellion = destroyed) and the plague spores are finally eradicated from the village (read: Eyam = cleansed).

- A more subtle motif would be the idea of birth and delivering babies, which comes up surprisingly often. From memory, Anna helps to deliver at least three babies and one cow over the course of the plot And as well as being tied up with the idea of motherhood and femininity, this also comes to symbolise hope for the future (i.e. life goes on, good things can be literally/metaphorically born out of terrible situations, etc. etc.)

- On a similar note, there's a recurring motif of nature throughout the text - lots of moments where the natural world is used to reflect what the characters are thinking/feeling/experiencing. At some point after the plague, Anna remarks that trees and grass have started growing over paths because no one is around to tread on them and maintain the paths... there's a nice quote like "perhaps none of us can bring ourselves to kill something that's so tenuously holding onto life" that could be a neat starting point for a discussion of this idea.

- This one treads a fine line between being a theme and a symbol/motif, but you could examine the concept of knowledge as a structural feature, particularly female characters' knowledge of medicinal herbs (and/or their ability to read). Not only is this something communal (shared between Elinor, Anna, Mem, and Anys) but it's also a source of empowerment for them. You could even argue that Elinor and Anna's capacity to help Merry Wickfield is a form of passing this self-sufficiency and independence to the next generation. However, it also places them in danger as characters like Josiah Bont are suspicious of such power, and when mob mentality takes over, it's all to easy for many villagers to take out their fears and apprehensions on characters like Anys who flaunt their knowledge and confidence.
(See also: the colour symbol of Anys' red dress, made by George Viccars... red is quite a scandalous colour by Puritanical standards )

- Another structural feature worth examining would be the cyclical nature of the story. You can discuss the fact that the text is bookended by Anna in Apple-picking Time, and you can even analyse the significance of some of the chapter titles and their reference to natural/cyclical phenomena.

- Significance of names: esp. 'Faith' (meaning is obvious ), 'Anteros' (Greek God of requited love), 'Elinor' (daughter of the Bradfords whom Anna adopts and flees with - there's some quote about her keeping Elinor Mompellion's memory alive or something), 'Aisha' (name of Anna's third child - means 'life'). Anna is also given a new name when she ends up in Oran that translates to 'mother of Jamie,' if I recall correctly.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head, but would love to hear of others if you've come across them!

[amelia_roberts]

Does any one have the year of wonders audiobook??? And where i can get it (either free or at a cheap price)??

[lyoko]

Couple of structural features worth noting:

- The most prominent would be the rotting apples which, as lyoko noted, are symbols of decay and thus serve as a rather harrowing reminder of what Anna and Eyam went through (in the first Apple-picking Time chapter, she says something like "I can't stand the smell of rotting apples anymore" which suggests she is still haunted by the trauma). I've also read essays that argue the apples are a symbol for the state of Eyam (and thus Anna's realisation that she can no longer "stand the smell" is an indictment of her desire to leave and seek freedom/happiness elsewhere).

- Another fairly obvious one is the fire in the Great Burning chapter, which represents destruction, but also cleansing. And it is at this point in the novel where Elinor is killed (read: Mompellion = destroyed) and the plague spores are finally eradicated from the village (read: Eyam = cleansed).

- A more subtle motif would be the idea of birth and delivering babies, which comes up surprisingly often. From memory, Anna helps to deliver at least three babies and one cow over the course of the plot And as well as being tied up with the idea of motherhood and femininity, this also comes to symbolise hope for the future (i.e. life goes on, good things can be literally/metaphorically born out of terrible situations, etc. etc.)

- On a similar note, there's a recurring motif of nature throughout the text - lots of moments where the natural world is used to reflect what the characters are thinking/feeling/experiencing. At some point after the plague, Anna remarks that trees and grass have started growing over paths because no one is around to tread on them and maintain the paths... there's a nice quote like "perhaps none of us can bring ourselves to kill something that's so tenuously holding onto life" that could be a neat starting point for a discussion of this idea.

- This one treads a fine line between being a theme and a symbol/motif, but you could examine the concept of knowledge as a structural feature, particularly female characters' knowledge of medicinal herbs (and/or their ability to read). Not only is this something communal (shared between Elinor, Anna, Mem, and Anys) but it's also a source of empowerment for them. You could even argue that Elinor and Anna's capacity to help Merry Wickfield is a form of passing this self-sufficiency and independence to the next generation. However, it also places them in danger as characters like Josiah Bont are suspicious of such power, and when mob mentality takes over, it's all to easy for many villagers to take out their fears and apprehensions on characters like Anys who flaunt their knowledge and confidence.
(See also: the colour symbol of Anys' red dress, made by George Viccars... red is quite a scandalous colour by Puritanical standards )

- Another structural feature worth examining would be the cyclical nature of the story. You can discuss the fact that the text is bookended by Anna in Apple-picking Time, and you can even analyse the significance of some of the chapter titles and their reference to natural/cyclical phenomena.

- Significance of names: esp. 'Faith' (meaning is obvious ), 'Anteros' (Greek God of requited love), 'Elinor' (daughter of the Bradfords whom Anna adopts and flees with - there's some quote about her keeping Elinor Mompellion's memory alive or something), 'Aisha' (name of Anna's third child - means 'life'). Anna is also given a new name when she ends up in Oran that translates to 'mother of Jamie,' if I recall correctly.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head, but would love to hear of others if you've come across them!

Thank-you very much Lauren!

[TheCommando]

It basically boils down to Mompellion's fears that if the Bradfords leave, other villagers will be emboldened to leave as well, and their attempts to quarantine themselves would ultimately be futile, and plague would spread regardless.

See: this very telling quote about Mompellion's moralistic values:

"For I will certainly stand and face the lion if, by running, I would cause the beast to follow me, and thus draw him closer to the dwelling places of innocents who demand protection."

You could also argue there's some risk of them spreading the plague by leaving, but the question of their influence is the more interesting point. Bradford's defence is that he's basically selfish and doesn't give a damn, so since he has the means to help his family escape, he does. So he's ostensibly an indictment of the egocentric, self-serving way some people respond to challenges.

As for Mompellion's anger... he more or less curses Bradford after he leaves, warning him that he'll incur a worse fate than plague - specifically that of God's judgement and vengeance. By leaving, Bradford puts his own and his family's needs above that of Eyam and potentially England as a whole, which flies in the face of Mompellion's mostly/seemingly altruistic values.

Hope that answers your questions! Let me know if there's anything else in the novel that you're unsure about!

Thank you so much!!
Also could u elaborate on what needs of Eyam
Is it unity?

[Quantum44]

What do people think about the pastoral elements of the novel? Anna often talks about the Ewes, and they seem to relate to nature and the seasonal country lifestyle, but surely there must be some symbolic meaning?

[literally lauren]

Thank you so much!!
Also could u elaborate on what needs of Eyam
Is it unity?

Unity is a good 'tl;dr' because a quarantined town is going to be a pretty shit place to live if everyone hates each other, so in Mompellion, Elinor, and Anna's minds, it's important for people to be compassionate and empathetic because their chances of survival are diminished otherwise.

So the Bradfords leaving is equivalent to saying 'screw Eyam and everyone in it; we've got the riches to hit the road, so you guys can suffer on your own.' Realistically, they wouldn't have been much help if they stayed, but the most powerful family in town packing up and peacing out took a bit of a toll on town morale

Hope that makes more sense!

What do people think about the pastoral elements of the novel? Anna often talks about the Ewes, and they seem to relate to nature and the seasonal country lifestyle, but surely there must be some symbolic meaning?

Hoo boy is this symbolic! A great place to start is to make the connection between 'pastoral' in the literal raising-livestock-and-tending-to-the-land sense, and 'pastoral' in the sense of leadership, duty of care, and shepherding those in your flock.



So this is some pretty heavy biblical metaphors here. On one level, Mompellion is like the shepherd of the town tasked with caring for his flock.

If you want to get another allusory layer deeper...

There's a bible passage about a shepherd with a flock of 100 sheep who discovers one day that one of the sheep has escaped, and the shepherd goes out looking for it even though he's still got 99. The moral of that parable is that a good shepherd (read: God) will always go out if his way to find and help those who are lost or who have gone astray. In this sense, Mompellion's a pretty shitty shepherd, right? He lets Bradford go, and curses him for doing so. He chastises Jane Martin for her promiscuity. He very occasionally shows mercy to some townsfolk, but he seems to opt more so for old testament-style punishments and vengeance, most obviously with Elinor. So although he's got some decent leadership traits, he lacks the care and compassion that defines a good shepherd... and those are two traits that Anna has in abundance, so Mompellion's unforgiving nature acts as a foil for Anna's kindness and clemency. So maybe Anna is the real shepherd?? 

But you can also look at Anna's role in tending to the ewes (and I think birthing one at some point... maybe that was a cow... same difference...) as an action that mirrors her care for others in Eyam. She starts the novel with the capacity to raise and tend to sheep, but she ends it with the power to help people - and finally, ultimately, herself.

[emily21145]

Does anyone in this thread have the audiobook? Need it so bad, have the attention span of a goldfish for this book 

[lilyrosee]

Hey guys,

I studied YOW last year - kinda wish I was doing it this year rather than Ransom/Invictus. Anyway, noting the chapter titles could be something to work into an essay. I always used to quote the 'Wide Green Prison' chapter title. Just something to think about...

[Quantum44]

Hey guys,

I studied YOW last year - kinda wish I was doing it this year rather than Ransom/Invictus. Anyway, noting the chapter titles could be something to work into an essay. I always used to quote the 'Wide Green Prison' chapter title. Just something to think about...

Yeah that's good food for thought, I think all the chapter titles carry some kind of meaning and could be manipulated into quotes, 'Wide Green Prison' is a good example of this. I think 'Sign of a Witch' (another good example), while obviously foreshadowing the mock witch trial of the Gowdies, also echoes the paranoid cries of one of the drunken villagers, further contributing to the thematic concern of fear and superstition.