The+Narrator

//Why do you think Geraldine Brooks selected Anna Frith as her narrator?// Anna is exposed to a lot of characters in her village. As a servant, she hears the gossip and talk of the upper class, such as the Bradfords and the Mompellions, but being of a lower class she mingles and has close friendships with the lower class and bulk of the village population. Anna also is a survivor of the Plague, therefore she can tell the story of the Plague from start to finish and she is also on the frontline in regards to dealing with the Plague. Anna can recount in vivid detail what Plague sores are like as she deals with them on a daily basis throughout the novel and how Plague affects each member of the village as she and Elinor are constantly socialising with people in their healing rounds. Finally Anna takes on the role as the hero in the novel, saving many lives, upholding her morals and defended those in need. Readers can watch her grow from a quiet servant girl into a strong independent woman. //What views and values are expressed through Anna?// Anna views all human lives as equal. She extends her help to both the poor and the rich breaking the class system in place prior to the plague. Anna also stands up or what is right and good, she has a strong moral compass and speaks up to the wrong-doings within her community, like the execution of Anys Gowdie, the mistreatment of Elinor by Michael and she stands up to the bully that is her father. //How does Anna change over the course of the novel?// In the beginning Anna is a reserved servant girl, deeply obedient and a widow, raising her two sons alone at the age of 18. As the plague sets in Anna learns that she is stronger than others, stronger than she thought she was and grows to be more assertive. She learns to read, a skill only acquired by the upper-class of her society’s hierarchy. She develops skills and knowledge that she was once afraid of, like using herbal medicines and birthing babies. Villagers go to her for help and advice as she becomes learned in the art of healing. She becomes a strong, independent woman, breaking free from class barriers and learning that she doesn’t need a man in her life, she is physically liberated both sensually and sexually. She listens to her inner moral compass and slightly losses her devout faith in religion but not completely in God. // What complex understanding of the position of women in 17th century English rural society is offered through Anna? // Generally adults in Anna’s society should all be married. Women were seen as a inferior to men and took on the general household duties of cooking and cleaning and raising children. Women without men in their household were frowned upon, like the Gowdies, and most couldn’t read or write as it was a waste of time for women to know how to read. It was a common thing for wives and daughters to be subjected to physical abuse from husbands and fathers, and it was considered very rude to speak out against this injustice. Women’s rights were nowhere near as equal as men’s rights and to think of women and men as equal was unheard of and quite revolutionary for the time period. //Anna’s family life is very difficult. Why does Brooks create such a cruel father?// Josiah Bont, Anna’s father, serves as the long running obstacle in Anna’s life. He is a tool used by Brooks to demonstrate how Anna has changed throughout the novel, into a strong outspoken woman. In the beginning Anna’s husband Sam stands up to Joss for Anna, but later on Anna proves she can fight her own battles and jump that conquer this battle that has been part of her life for a long time.
 * The Narrator – Anna Frith **