Black Death By Barbara Tuchman Analysis

This is a historical narrative by Barbara Tuchman, where she presents in graphic detail about the outbreak of the ‘black death’ during the Late Middle Ages (1347 – 1352) and its progression through Europe. The ‘black death’ was the disease known as the bubonic plague and manifested in two forms. As Tuchman explains, the first form infected the bloodstream, causing buboes and internal bleeding, which was spread by contact; the second one was a more virulent pneumonia - type that infected the lungs and was spread by respiratory infection. It is truly horrifying to imagine how it was like to see those affected people or be one of them and more alarming was the fact that the caregivers would also be infected because the disease was highly contagious. Next, Tuchman explores how this terrifying disease is called the ‘black death’ as it included a …show more content…
It is a common for people to question their faith when they are in a desperate situation and nobody can blame them. What would we do, if we were in the same situation? Now, there is this situation in Syria, where the citizens are migrating to neighboring and to different countries in Europe. They are abandoning their homes, their jobs, etc. just to have a life somewhere else. Tuchman’s historical report about the ‘black death’ can be comprehended as if she lived during the time to record all the events in great details. It is a glimpse back to history and represents the lowest point during the fourteenth century medieval Europe. In the late medieval history, it is noted that the fourteenth century marks the beginning of the decline of the power of the Church and this historical narrative implies how the ‘black death’ have contributed to its