Webinar "Pandemic Fear and Literature " June 18th 2021 @ RMP virtual google meet

 

  A webinar was conducted by the Department of English in R.M.P C.S.I P.S.K Rajaratnam Memorial College of Education, Sattankulam. The resource person of the webinar was Dr. D. Nalina Palin, Associate Professor of English at St. John's College, Palayamkottai. The title for the webinar was "Pandemic Fear and Literature".

The program started with an opening prayer, welcome address, and chief guest talk. The resource person talked about some literary works "The Scarlet Plague" by Jack London.  When plague spread, no medicine could help, and no one could stop it from striking; the only way to escape was to avoid contact with infected persons and contaminated objects. From the Bible (e.g., Exodus 9:14, Numbers 11:33, 1 Samuel 4:8, Psalms 89:23, Isaiah 9:13), the plague was viewed as one of God’s punishments for sins, so the frightening description of its spread was interpreted as a warning to the Israelites to behave morally.

Then  "Pale House Pale Rider" by Anne Porter is based on Porter's own life story and centers around death, mortality, and young love during the influenza epidemic of 1918. The biblical references Revelation 6:1-8. There, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are the Conqueror on a white horse, War on a red horse, Famine on a black horse, and Death on a pale horse.

This picture from the book explains the corpse of people carried in wagons to the cemetery for burial and the last one is the list of pandemics the world has faced so far.

The speaker ended the session with a video telling how to overcome a pandemic situation by taking a lot of rest and talking to family members close to you.

The program schedule was ended by giving a feedback and vote of thanks.