Why Is It Better To Survive The Black Plague?

A child is watching their beloved mother suffer. She is in constant pain. The child cannot go near their own mother to give her a hug out of fear for contracting the disease. In this 14th century age in Europe, this disease is becoming more common. It could easily be any of us that has to watch loved ones suffer and potentially watch them while not being able to do anything to help. It would be much worse to survive the Black Death and watch loved ones suffer and live in fear than to have the disease personally and more than likely die quickly.
It is clearly seen that it is worse to survive the Black Plague than to suffer directly from it because of the emotional trauma it causes to those who are forced to watch loved ones suffer. Some people …show more content…
Those who believe this are convinced that it is better to be the survivor so that others do not have to watch you suffer and don’t have to be the ones living on and remembering this. However the people who believe this fail to recognize that at this point in time, everyone is feeling some sort of agony. Whatever one can do to stay uncontaminated, should be done. However, in some occasions, this can be emotionally heartbreaking. People are abandoning their own family members for safety. An illustration of this is “father [abandoning] child, wife husband, and brother another” (Doc E). In order to protect themselves, people are leaving their closest loved ones. To have say goodbye to ones closest loved ones is the hardest thing to do. Knowing well that there will most likely never be a reunion, as they will more than likely die from the plague. As an alternative, families can stand idly by and watch their loved ones suffer. The survival chances of the people with the disease are not that good, and so the “members of a household [bring] their dead to a ditch as best they could” (Doc E). If a family chooses to stay together, they are basically …show more content…
Some may argue that having the disease is worse, due to the awful symptoms. Al-Maqrizi gave the illustration that the buboes are “a small swelling grew behind the ear which rapidly suppurated” (Doc D), meaning they quickly grow and fill with pus. However, whoever believes this fails to realize that even if someone never contract the disease, they were never guaranteed the assurance they wouldn’t have to be the next to suffer. These people who are the ones to survive are in constant fear of being the next victim. These people are “now led by their fright to extremes of folly” (Doc C). A few of have already “ran to conjurers and witches” (Doc C). Many people are carrying out erratic behaviors out of fear. After watching others suffer, people are afraid of what will become of them. They might be the next one to contract the disease or they may not. They don’t know. They will do anything to make sure they are not the next to fall prey. Furthermore, everyone is trying to find safety. Including the doctors. The doctors that are still alive and uncontaminated are still difficult to persuade to help the contaminated, for they are fearing for their own health. For instance, “those who could be found wanted vast sums in hand before they entered the house” (Doc G). The doctors want their payment before they even