There are some bright spots, thankfully. In particular, the successful delivery of Mrs. Daniels' newborn son shows that life always finds a way—to quote Jurassic Park's great Ian Malcolm.

Colonel Bradford has no use for Mompellion's egalitarian ideas about confronting the plague. All he knows is that he has enough money to evacuate his family, and that's enough for him. This is an especially significant decision because the Bradfords are the leading aristocratic family in the village.

Oh, snap—that shade is aimed squarely at the Bradfords. And it's a direct hit. Most of the people who remain in Eyam do incredibly courageous things to help their friends and neighbors, which only highlights the failings of the upper class in this situation.