The Decreased Value of Emotion

The town, as it was ravened by the plague, placed less and less value on the emotion of its inhabitants. This can be seen primarily by the decreased value placed on relation during funeral processions. The families go from being able to hold a service to their dead to simply accompanying them to the cemetery, to finally being informed by a government official of the passing of a loved one as the individual was carted off to the cemetery. In times like this, especially once the town had declared martial law, the good of the town is placed over the good of the individual. However, this can lead to problems because individuals make up the town, and if as a whole the individuals are sent into despair by the new laws the town as a whole suffers. The low moral of the town even led to such extremes as good citizens looting and setting fires to their neighbor’s homes. These individuals are described as being perfectly normal but seized by crazy impulse. These crazy impulses come as a result of the new state of the town both as a result of the progression of the plague and the new law system. Individuals are going as far as creating violent encounters with the city limit guards – to the extent that casualties result. In a town where death is so prominent that hangings draw no attention, it is hard to control the citizens – for what do any of them have to loose but their lives? Those of which are in jeopardy by simply living in the city.