TITLE:
On the Human Character of Disaster Narratives: Using A Journal of the Plague Year by Defoe and The Painted Veil by Maugham as Examples
AUTHORS:
Xiaohong Fan, Ke Chen
KEYWORDS:
A Journal of the Plague Year, The Painted Veil, Human Nature, Disaster Narratives
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.4,
April
29,
2025
ABSTRACT: This study examines the paradoxical duality of human nature and the triadic tension found in disaster narratives through A Journal of the Plague Year and The Painted Veil. This is done by applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and so on. The research focuses on the ontological metamorphosis of human nature, from its decline to sublimation, and employs three major innovations in methodology, research perspective, and cross-era comparison. It emphasizes that the social function of disaster literature has shifted from collective admonition to individual awakening. This reflects the dialectical interplay of human nature in extreme situations and offers valuable insights for anthropological reconstruction in the post-epidemic era.