Not everyone thinks that suffering is a bad thing. Mompellion, true to his Puritan belief system, sees suffering as God's way of testing his people. If that's so, then consider the plague God's equivalent to the MCAT. You've got to study hard for that sucker.

Anys refuses to accept the constraints society places on her, especially where gender is concerned. In fact, she's one of Anna's key inspirations in her quest for personal self-discovery, a quest that eventually allows her to redefine her own womanhood outside of sexist limitations. That's a pretty big win, in our book.

In other words, Colonel Bradford is a gold digger: he ain't messin' with no broke Puritans. As long as his lady will help advance his social status, he's going to put a ring on it every time.