Digital Archive Post #5: The Decameron and COVID-19
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio was written in 1353 and takes place in Florence, Italy during the deadly Bubonic Plague. The catastrophe led to the total breakdown of society and people began to act unnaturally towards each other and feared the thought of loss and death. As the plague strikes the city, 7 noble ladies and 3 gentlemen escape the horrific terrors, fleeing to a secluded country estate away from their society. Boccaccio has developed a mini-society and the group tells 10 stories each day for 10 days on a certain theme the monarch of the day wishes to discuss. Because of the privilege and wealth of the noble individuals, they are allowed to escape the Bubonic Plague and escape reality to an estate of leisure and relaxation. Not everyone in the city of Florence was able to experience the break from reality as the group did. This reinforces the privileges of certain individuals in our society as they had the option to escape the plague.
A few hundred years later, the same situation occurs with the current breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Black Plague took half the lives of the Florence population and today, we are seeing an unbelievable amount of deaths with over 200,000 in the U.S alone.
When the virus first began at the start of 2020, our society and economy collapsed, similarly to 1348 in Florence. People began to panic as they began to lose loved ones and witness the deadly pandemic. Some individuals were not lucky enough to escape the pandemic and for example still had to work, being exposed to the virus, in order to support their family. After reading The Decameron, it made me realize the privilege I have of being healthy and safe from the pandemic. Over the summer, my family spent a weekend camping out in the woods, escaping the severe threats of the virus. Because of our privilege and stable household, my family was able to take this trip, however the same might not be said for other individuals at the frontline COVID-19.
