Prescience of Pandemics in Literature with Special Reference to Mary Shelley, Jack London and Margaret Atwood

Key Points

• The paper aims to analyze literary texts that predict future pandemics, highlighting their societal reflections.
• Analysis of three key texts: The Last Man by Mary Shelley, The Scarlet Plague by Jack London, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.
• Exploration of themes related to pandemics and societal responses within these works.
• Contextual comparison of the historical and literary significance of each text.
• The analysis shows that Mary Shelley’s work introduces an early vision of societal collapse due to disease.
• Jack London’s The Scarlet Plague depicts a post-pandemic world, reflecting fears of future disasters.
• Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake emphasizes the consequences of human actions leading to pandemics.