Welcome FHS students! Please check your FHS gmail! We'll use this blog to talk about our summer readings. Sign into Google with your Fairview Schools login. Speak, Never Fall Down, and The Age of Miracles discussion questions are all on this page. Scroll down to find each novel's questions. Then, click on Comment link following the questions you wish to answer. Click on the page links on the left to access additional information.
Discussion Questions for All Novels
Saturday, June 15, 2013
The Age of Miracles 1: Stories about the end of the world
1. As readers, why do you think we’re drawn to stories about the end of the world? What special
pleasures do these kinds of narratives offer? And how do you think this element works in The Age of
Miracles?
People have always been interested about the end of the world, whether it be death by zombies or some freaky natural disaster. I think we just want to know what the ways are that humanity could end. It doesn’t matter if it is completely and utterly unrealistic – i.e. zombies –, we still have the sense of curiosity. We want to know how the author solves the situation, so if we, one day, have to face the same turn of events, we have some idea how to react. They offer a pleasure because we want to know how the world could end. Now, we have no idea if the world will even end. The possibility of the world starting to end tomorrow is so minute that I have never worried. But I’ll admit that I do want to know the possibilities. The way that this element works in The Age of Miracles is very interesting. I like it because it is subtle at first. It begins very slowly so no one really notices it happens at first. Then it slowly grows into a huge disaster. A lot of times “apocalypse” books or movies have the end of the world be one big smack to the face. Some huge cataclysmic event happens and half the population is wiped out. But this slowing of the earth does its killing behind our backs. Just enough people that not everyone freaks out about it. I really like how Walker makes the world end.
I agree with Steven when he says that the idea of a slow apocalypse is what makes The Age of Miracles different and arguably more interesting than other apocalyptic media. The way this novel shows a very real and possible apocalyptic event without the cliche one-day armageddon makes it a unique take on the end of days, and that works to its advantage. I do, however, have to disagree with the idea that our fascination with the end of the world is sparked by possibilities. The most popular modern apocalypse scenario, a zombie outbreak, is rather unrealistic to say the least. The chances of that happening are slim at best, yet it sparks the most interest. I think the idea that humans change along with the state of the world is an unspoken fascination.
As readers, I believe there are a few reasons we are drawn to stories about the end of the world. One of the main reasons that I believe this is true is because of recent events. December 21st, 2012 is probably a date that still sticks into the minds of everyone, because that was the date that was the supposed “end of the world” because that’s when the Mayan’s stopped writing their calendar, which is what we follow. People, as they normally do, start to get scared and paranoid. This leads to a chain reaction of other people feeling these emotions and news people and television networks start publicizing those who are especially paranoid. This captures the attention of the public, and draws us in. Also, the idea of the world ending is something not easily understood by the common person. It seems too incredible, almost to the point that it’s impossible. Even I have trouble comprehending how this event could happen. Some special pleasures that narratives of this type offer include the usual. You have some mystery, fantasy, and a fear factor. The mystery element of the story is you never know what is going to happen next. One second everything seems stable and the next, a plot twist is thrown into the mix. I enjoy this in narratives because it keeps them interesting and never fails to grasp my attention. The next pleasure, fantasy, is shown in some of the events that happen throughout the books. Lastly, the fear factor is played throughout these narratives in two ways. The first way is not knowing what is going to happen, as I mentioned, and the second one being that this may possibly happen to Earth one day. To better explain this, the Bible is a good example. It talks about what is supposed to happen at the end of the world and the thought of this happening to Earth plays with my fears, as well, I assume, other people’s. The element of the world ending in The Age of Miracles really works, for it makes the book flow and more interesting. It starts out subtly, killing birds, grass, and flowers, then kills people and larger animals, turning into a huge event. Also, throughout the book, Julia begins turning into a teenager. Having the world ending throughout the book affects this change in her life, because she doesn’t just have to worry about growing up, but also surviving. Also, if the book was only about her growing up, it wouldn’t be very interesting. The way Walker added the element of the world ending into this book made it interesting, added special pleasure, and captured the attention of the audiences who read this book.
I completely agree with everything Colleen said. She talked about three main reasons to why we are drawn to stories about the end of the world. One of the things Colleen said to why we are is because they have a mystery. Nobody wants to read a book and be bored, but just like Colleen said with the end of the world topic you never know what is going to happen next. This keeps you very interested and makes you want to keep reading. Another thing Colleen talked about was a fear factor that we have. As we read the pages we start to wonder what if this were to happen to our world one day. We want to keep reading to find out what happens to them and their world, so that if it were to happen to us we would be prepared and know what to expect. I think she makes a good point with the Bible because it does talk about the end of the world. Another good point Colleen made was that if the book was just about Julia growing into a teenager no one would want to read it. Adding the thrill of the world ending draws the reader into the book.
People are drawn to stories about the end of the world because we think we are indestructible. We think that as a human race we will always be here and that nothing will change that. Stories about the end of the world draw us in because it shows us how vulnerable we really are and people want to learn how to react to these situations so they can feel as though they are prepared if they ever do happen.
The narrators of these stories give us the first person experience of the end of the world so we can feel as though we are them but still be safe and sound in our own world. It lets us experience what could end the human race but still not have to have it happen to us personally. The narrator's let us experience this though themselves.
This element works well in “The Age of Miracles” because it is told through a girl about our age and lets us feel how teenagers would respond to such a disaster and lets us feel closer to the person tha if they were younger or older than us. Since we can connect to the character more we can feel closer and more into the story.
Kevin has a good point in his response to the question of “Why are we drawn to stories about the end of the world?” by saying that we as humans think we are indestructible. We often think that we will always live on no matter what happens on Earth, but with these end of the world themes, we are drawn to them because we are interested on how it might be possible that we may not survive no matter what. Kevin also points out that the narrator gives us a good perspective on what might happen at the end of the world and they allow us to feel secure knowing that these apocalyptic events will probably never happen in our lifetime. Having these stories makes us feel like we actually can survive throughout any catastrophe because we might be prepared for what might happen to the world around us using these stories as reference of what could happen. These stories add a new view of what life could possibly be like in the future. In Kevin’s response, he also states that in “The Age of Miracles”, having the narrator as a girl close to our age provides a view of how the world might change for teenagers living through this catastrophe. In total, Kevin brought up some very good points as to why people are attracted to these kinds of stories.
There are different levels of the apocalypse. It spans from the start of the horrible things to come to a barren, pillaged wasteland with almost all of humanity gone. The interesting thing is, each carries its own unique appeal. A lifeless and pillaged world that was once civilization shows how everything turns out after the apocalypse. A story about the post-apocalyptic era would show how humans would survive in the new world created by catastrophic events.
A story about these events occurring, however, gives off a whole different aura. Peering into a world where the end of days is inevitable, you see how civilization crumbles and how people often create their own demise. The very idea of a coming apocalypse drives people insane, creating a whole other environment in which to live. In The Age of Miracles, they use this period in the end of days to show how it starts to destroy humanity’s way of life. While a slow process, in this case, it shows how everything starts changing, and how some people start making bad decisions due to the simple idea of an apocalypse. This idea aids The Age of Miracles in that it sets a different premise in which to tell a story, and how the different premise creates different people. The idea of our way of life crumbling is a sort of dark fascination that we humans have.
Caelan makes a lot of good points in his post, but I especially like his statement that “people often create their own demise” in pre-apocalyptic scenarios. This is true. In stories where doomsday seems to be right around the corner, it is usually not so much the environment but the people themselves who are the most responsible for the “crumbling of society.” In most stories with apocalyptic themes, the possibility of the end of the world causes people to make decisions that they would not make under typical conditions. This phenomenon is evident in “The Age of Miracles”, especially in the life of Julia’s father, whose lies and bad deeds become more and more egregious as the slowing drags on. The world outside of Julia’s family turns against each other by splitting into clock-timer and real-timer camps, creating division at a time where unity is essential to the survival of the human race. Desperation and fear cause people to turn against one another, and this manifests as emotional reactions that are rash and detrimental to society as a whole. The constant fluidity of the character’s interactions with each other is one of the reasons why we are so drawn to stories about the end of the world. As the world changes, the people change along with it. Julia points this out in “The Age of Miracles” when she talks about how the slowing shifted both the social and financial hierarchy of her town. Julia went from a bystander of bullying to a victim of bullying; Michaela moved from an apartment to a mansion. In “The Age of Miracles”, almost nothing in the post-slowing world is the same as it was in the pre-slowing world. The ever-shifting personalities of the characters tied in with the mystery of a coming doomsday are what make stories about the end of the world so fascinating to read. Caelan captures the thrill of apocalyptic stories the best when he writes that “the idea of our way of life crumbling is a sort of dark fascination we humans have.” In the end, it is our “dark fascination” that makes books like “The Age of Miracles” so intriguing to us.
I think that we are drawn to stories about the end of the world for two possible reasons. The first reason is that we are curious about the future. We enjoy looking at, and in a way, experiencing possible futuristic events that we may never be able to experience for ourselves. Readers’ interest in this type of futuristic story is shown in our liking of “The Hunger Games”. “The Hunger Games” is set in the remains of North America sometime after an unknown nearly-full collapse of humanity. It’s unique in the sense that it takes places after an apocalypse, but it is similar in that it is a situation that we likely will not experience ourselves. Some people would argue that “Age of Miracles” isn’t a futuristic novel because it is set in a time that seems like present day, but I would consider “Age of Miracles” a futuristic story because it is about the slowing, an event that clearly hasn’t happened yet to our world. Others would argue that the fact that stories open up worlds that are unavailable to us in real life is the same reason that readers enjoy any story, not just stories about the end of the world, so there must be some other reason that we are drawn to apocalyptic books. The reason we are drawn to specifically end of the world stories I believe could be evolutionary. As a species, our main goal is simply to stay alive to pass on our genes to the next generation, and one component to staying alive is to analyze dangers in our environment and figure out a way to combat them. These apocalyptic stories give us opportunities to safely analyze different threats that could endanger our species. Whether it is aliens in “Independence Day”, a meteor in “Armageddon”, or the unknown in “Age of Miracles”, end of the world stories give us a chance to ask the questions “what would I do?” or “what could we do?” without the risk of actually experiencing it ourselves. Similarly to how sports simulate competition in the wild and help us stay fit, these stories stimulate dangers in the wild and help us stay prepared or “mentally fit.” The threat in “The Age of Miracles” is unique, something that we haven’t read about before. In addition, the book adds the end of the world theme, a theme that always catches the eye.
We humans as a race have always been interested and curious on how we would meet our demise. People want to be prepared and ready to try and fight off the end of the world and survive. It allows people to be able to experience the end of the world, whether it be a nuclear fallout or a series of massive natural disasters without actually being there. This gives us pleasure because it allows us to place ourselves in the place of the characters and try to overcome the same obstacles that they have to face and try and survive the end of days. There is also a seemingly endless number of possible ways that the world can end. This element works in the Age of Miracles because the slowing is a whole new way of destruction that no one predicted. It is not like a massive disease or nuclear war, the slowing is not the dangerous part, it's what the slowing causes that can be deadly like famine. The slowing is an end of the world scenario that people can survive and adapt too, and I think that is what people want to hear, that some ways the world can end are survivable.
Recently there have been many books, movies, and even video games based around an average person going through an end of the world situation. These stories with the same base have been selling like crazy because currently people are enamored with the possibility of the world ending. I believe this is partly because of the recent predicted end of the world in 2012. The 2012 prediction made doomsday seem more realistic to most individuals. People thinking that such a scenario could actually happen, launched thoughts like “How would I cope with it?” End of the world stories elicit thoughts about situations that we couldn’t possibly imagine, and because we can easily place ourselves in the hero’s position the events of the story become more personal. Doomsday stories make us think about who we really are, and that is why I think we are so drawn to stories about the end of the world. End of the world stories indulge us in the unimaginable experience of viewing a doomsday scenario through an average person’s life. In the Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker writes a creative and intriguing view of the end of the world. Most stories about doomsday have to do with zombies or a nuclear explosion, but Walker immerses us in a unique perspective of the end of the world. The doomsday base works so well for the book because it takes an average person and puts her in an end of the world experience. Julia is a character that is easy to connect with which makes the story all the more personal. As Julia goes through hardships you feel her pain, you feel her anxiety. In the end of the book when Seth has a seizer, I was devastated. I wasn’t only sad because Julia lost Seth, but also because the devastation made me think about if I lost a loved one in the same situation. In contrast you also feel her incredible hope. I especially remember this paragraph of the book: “I do try to move forward as much as possible. I’ve decided to try to become a doctor, though some of the universities have closed. No one knows what the world will be like by the time I finally finish school.” (Walker 268) Julia’s hope in continuing her future almost seems impossible to me, yet I cannot help but share her feeling. The Age of Miracles uses the doomsday experience so well because Julia is a character that is so compatible with the thoughts and feelings of an average person.
Eric shared a unique and interesting point by bringing up the event of 2012 and how it has affected the fictional literature of this era. It is true that the end of the Mayan calendar has brought a long list of end of the world fantasies with it as well as bringing the prospect of the end of the world closer to home, but I find that the idea of the world ending is 2012 is an effect of human nature along with the stream of screen plays and novels that have followed in its wake. The Mayans did not predict that the world would end; their calendar simply came to an end. It was the current population that thought 2012 spelled out doomsday. There is something in human nature that dreads and relishes the thought of a final, devastating end. To further investigate the topic of why humans eternally seem to be grasping for a so-called “doomsday”, I read over some of the other comments, and I believe that Sam brought up a point that can help further explain the situation. Sam says: “As a species, our main goal is simply to stay alive to pass on our genes to the next generation.” As the human species has manipulated their environment, making it safer and more comfortable, they have eradicated a majority of the threats that ancient humanity had to face. It is instinct to be prepared, scared, and fight to survive, but the need for this instinct is rapidly diminishing. In their desperation to experience this fear, humans have invented their own monsters, be it germs, rollercoasters, or novels depicting the end of the world. Eric also brought up that people enjoy envisioning themselves in perilous situations such as an end of the world scenario. We always contemplate what it’s like to play the hero, which is why authors often write their characters as average people. An average hero, as Eric points out, is easier to connect with, because a person can visualize himself in the hero’s place. The connection between reader and character brings more emotion into the story. Karen Thompson Walker does an exceptional job of including the average events in her story alongside the catastrophic ones. The reader is able to connect with Julia’s problems with growing up, even if he finds it challenging to connect with her problems concerning the end of the world. In conclusion, I believe that human nature builds around the concept of the end of the world, resulting in admirable pieces of literature and art such as the Age of Miracles.
I think the reason we are drawn to end of the world stories is because we like seeing how humanity can actually handle this kind of situation. In stories like The Walking Dead, we are given very interesting views on how certain characters, mainly the villains, are corrupted by this new setting. This happens in The Age of Miracles, as the so-called “real-timers” are changed by their diverging opinions from the rest of society. As the book progresses, their lifestyles start to become more and more different than those who go by a regular clock schedule. This changes certain people, such as Julia’s friend Gabby and her piano teacher Sylvia. They both change from regular, everyday people to outcasts of society, as they end up leaving the Julia’s life altogether. Eventually, this ideology dies out as several of the “real-timers’ loss their sanity or just go back to using clocks. This environment may also have changed Julia’s father, as he changes from being a regular, supportive, optimistic dad, to being secretly dishonest and impulsive. This leads to him to have an affair with Sylvia, much to the Julia’s, and possibly her mother’s, distress. Fortunately, he comes back to supporting his family again after the death of the grandfather is discovered. This shows a similar conflict to Lord of the Flies. In that story, the boys struggle with keeping their humanity as they’re separated from society. In apocalyptic stories, society itself is crumbling and it brings an even tougher challenge to remain civilized. In those tales, mankind is more of a danger to it themselves than whatever the world-destroying event is, whether it’s zombies or a natural disaster. However, this environment may change people for the better, as a boy that Julia has a crush on named Seth ends up becoming more social and outspoken than before. In more extreme stories, like a zombie scenario one, an everyday man may become a brave leader of a group. While the element doesn’t work quite as deep in The Age of Miracles as it does in other stories like The Walking Dead, it still shows that the end of the world changes people, whether for better or for worse.
People have always been interested about the end of the world, whether it be death by zombies or some freaky natural disaster. I think we just want to know what the ways are that humanity could end. It doesn’t matter if it is completely and utterly unrealistic – i.e. zombies –, we still have the sense of curiosity. We want to know how the author solves the situation, so if we, one day, have to face the same turn of events, we have some idea how to react. They offer a pleasure because we want to know how the world could end. Now, we have no idea if the world will even end. The possibility of the world starting to end tomorrow is so minute that I have never worried. But I’ll admit that I do want to know the possibilities. The way that this element works in The Age of Miracles is very interesting. I like it because it is subtle at first. It begins very slowly so no one really notices it happens at first. Then it slowly grows into a huge disaster. A lot of times “apocalypse” books or movies have the end of the world be one big smack to the face. Some huge cataclysmic event happens and half the population is wiped out. But this slowing of the earth does its killing behind our backs. Just enough people that not everyone freaks out about it. I really like how Walker makes the world end.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steven when he says that the idea of a slow apocalypse is what makes The Age of Miracles different and arguably more interesting than other apocalyptic media. The way this novel shows a very real and possible apocalyptic event without the cliche one-day armageddon makes it a unique take on the end of days, and that works to its advantage. I do, however, have to disagree with the idea that our fascination with the end of the world is sparked by possibilities. The most popular modern apocalypse scenario, a zombie outbreak, is rather unrealistic to say the least. The chances of that happening are slim at best, yet it sparks the most interest. I think the idea that humans change along with the state of the world is an unspoken fascination.
DeleteAs readers, I believe there are a few reasons we are drawn to stories about the end of the world. One of the main reasons that I believe this is true is because of recent events. December 21st, 2012 is probably a date that still sticks into the minds of everyone, because that was the date that was the supposed “end of the world” because that’s when the Mayan’s stopped writing their calendar, which is what we follow. People, as they normally do, start to get scared and paranoid. This leads to a chain reaction of other people feeling these emotions and news people and television networks start publicizing those who are especially paranoid. This captures the attention of the public, and draws us in. Also, the idea of the world ending is something not easily understood by the common person. It seems too incredible, almost to the point that it’s impossible. Even I have trouble comprehending how this event could happen.
ReplyDeleteSome special pleasures that narratives of this type offer include the usual. You have some mystery, fantasy, and a fear factor. The mystery element of the story is you never know what is going to happen next. One second everything seems stable and the next, a plot twist is thrown into the mix. I enjoy this in narratives because it keeps them interesting and never fails to grasp my attention. The next pleasure, fantasy, is shown in some of the events that happen throughout the books. Lastly, the fear factor is played throughout these narratives in two ways. The first way is not knowing what is going to happen, as I mentioned, and the second one being that this may possibly happen to Earth one day. To better explain this, the Bible is a good example. It talks about what is supposed to happen at the end of the world and the thought of this happening to Earth plays with my fears, as well, I assume, other people’s.
The element of the world ending in The Age of Miracles really works, for it makes the book flow and more interesting. It starts out subtly, killing birds, grass, and flowers, then kills people and larger animals, turning into a huge event. Also, throughout the book, Julia begins turning into a teenager. Having the world ending throughout the book affects this change in her life, because she doesn’t just have to worry about growing up, but also surviving. Also, if the book was only about her growing up, it wouldn’t be very interesting. The way Walker added the element of the world ending into this book made it interesting, added special pleasure, and captured the attention of the audiences who read this book.
I completely agree with everything Colleen said. She talked about three main reasons to why we are drawn to stories about the end of the world. One of the things Colleen said to why we are is because they have a mystery. Nobody wants to read a book and be bored, but just like Colleen said with the end of the world topic you never know what is going to happen next. This keeps you very interested and makes you want to keep reading.
DeleteAnother thing Colleen talked about was a fear factor that we have. As we read the pages we start to wonder what if this were to happen to our world one day. We want to keep reading to find out what happens to them and their world, so that if it were to happen to us we would be prepared and know what to expect. I think she makes a good point with the Bible because it does talk about the end of the world. Another good point Colleen made was that if the book was just about Julia growing into a teenager no one would want to read it. Adding the thrill of the world ending draws the reader into the book.
People are drawn to stories about the end of the world because we think we are indestructible. We think that as a human race we will always be here and that nothing will change that. Stories about the end of the world draw us in because it shows us how vulnerable we really are and people want to learn how to react to these situations so they can feel as though they are prepared if they ever do happen.
ReplyDeleteThe narrators of these stories give us the first person experience of the end of the world so we can feel as though we are them but still be safe and sound in our own world. It lets us experience what could end the human race but still not have to have it happen to us personally. The narrator's let us experience this though themselves.
This element works well in “The Age of Miracles” because it is told through a girl about our age and lets us feel how teenagers would respond to such a disaster and lets us feel closer to the person tha if they were younger or older than us. Since we can connect to the character more we can feel closer and more into the story.
Kevin has a good point in his response to the question of “Why are we drawn to stories about the end of the world?” by saying that we as humans think we are indestructible. We often think that we will always live on no matter what happens on Earth, but with these end of the world themes, we are drawn to them because we are interested on how it might be possible that we may not survive no matter what. Kevin also points out that the narrator gives us a good perspective on what might happen at the end of the world and they allow us to feel secure knowing that these apocalyptic events will probably never happen in our lifetime. Having these stories makes us feel like we actually can survive throughout any catastrophe because we might be prepared for what might happen to the world around us using these stories as reference of what could happen. These stories add a new view of what life could possibly be like in the future. In Kevin’s response, he also states that in “The Age of Miracles”, having the narrator as a girl close to our age provides a view of how the world might change for teenagers living through this catastrophe. In total, Kevin brought up some very good points as to why people are attracted to these kinds of stories.
DeleteThere are different levels of the apocalypse. It spans from the start of the horrible things to come to a barren, pillaged wasteland with almost all of humanity gone. The interesting thing is, each carries its own unique appeal. A lifeless and pillaged world that was once civilization shows how everything turns out after the apocalypse. A story about the post-apocalyptic era would show how humans would survive in the new world created by catastrophic events.
ReplyDeleteA story about these events occurring, however, gives off a whole different aura. Peering into a world where the end of days is inevitable, you see how civilization crumbles and how people often create their own demise. The very idea of a coming apocalypse drives people insane, creating a whole other environment in which to live. In The Age of Miracles, they use this period in the end of days to show how it starts to destroy humanity’s way of life. While a slow process, in this case, it shows how everything starts changing, and how some people start making bad decisions due to the simple idea of an apocalypse. This idea aids The Age of Miracles in that it sets a different premise in which to tell a story, and how the different premise creates different people. The idea of our way of life crumbling is a sort of dark fascination that we humans have.
Caelan makes a lot of good points in his post, but I especially like his statement that “people often create their own demise” in pre-apocalyptic scenarios. This is true. In stories where doomsday seems to be right around the corner, it is usually not so much the environment but the people themselves who are the most responsible for the “crumbling of society.” In most stories with apocalyptic themes, the possibility of the end of the world causes people to make decisions that they would not make under typical conditions. This phenomenon is evident in “The Age of Miracles”, especially in the life of Julia’s father, whose lies and bad deeds become more and more egregious as the slowing drags on. The world outside of Julia’s family turns against each other by splitting into clock-timer and real-timer camps, creating division at a time where unity is essential to the survival of the human race. Desperation and fear cause people to turn against one another, and this manifests as emotional reactions that are rash and detrimental to society as a whole.
DeleteThe constant fluidity of the character’s interactions with each other is one of the reasons why we are so drawn to stories about the end of the world. As the world changes, the people change along with it. Julia points this out in “The Age of Miracles” when she talks about how the slowing shifted both the social and financial hierarchy of her town. Julia went from a bystander of bullying to a victim of bullying; Michaela moved from an apartment to a mansion. In “The Age of Miracles”, almost nothing in the post-slowing world is the same as it was in the pre-slowing world. The ever-shifting personalities of the characters tied in with the mystery of a coming doomsday are what make stories about the end of the world so fascinating to read. Caelan captures the thrill of apocalyptic stories the best when he writes that “the idea of our way of life crumbling is a sort of dark fascination we humans have.” In the end, it is our “dark fascination” that makes books like “The Age of Miracles” so intriguing to us.
I think that we are drawn to stories about the end of the world for two possible reasons. The first reason is that we are curious about the future. We enjoy looking at, and in a way, experiencing possible futuristic events that we may never be able to experience for ourselves. Readers’ interest in this type of futuristic story is shown in our liking of “The Hunger Games”. “The Hunger Games” is set in the remains of North America sometime after an unknown nearly-full collapse of humanity. It’s unique in the sense that it takes places after an apocalypse, but it is similar in that it is a situation that we likely will not experience ourselves. Some people would argue that “Age of Miracles” isn’t a futuristic novel because it is set in a time that seems like present day, but I would consider “Age of Miracles” a futuristic story because it is about the slowing, an event that clearly hasn’t happened yet to our world. Others would argue that the fact that stories open up worlds that are unavailable to us in real life is the same reason that readers enjoy any story, not just stories about the end of the world, so there must be some other reason that we are drawn to apocalyptic books.
ReplyDeleteThe reason we are drawn to specifically end of the world stories I believe could be evolutionary. As a species, our main goal is simply to stay alive to pass on our genes to the next generation, and one component to staying alive is to analyze dangers in our environment and figure out a way to combat them. These apocalyptic stories give us opportunities to safely analyze different threats that could endanger our species. Whether it is aliens in “Independence Day”, a meteor in “Armageddon”, or the unknown in “Age of Miracles”, end of the world stories give us a chance to ask the questions “what would I do?” or “what could we do?” without the risk of actually experiencing it ourselves. Similarly to how sports simulate competition in the wild and help us stay fit, these stories stimulate dangers in the wild and help us stay prepared or “mentally fit.” The threat in “The Age of Miracles” is unique, something that we haven’t read about before. In addition, the book adds the end of the world theme, a theme that always catches the eye.
We humans as a race have always been interested and curious on how we would meet our demise. People want to be prepared and ready to try and fight off the end of the world and survive. It allows people to be able to experience the end of the world, whether it be a nuclear fallout or a series of massive natural disasters without actually being there. This gives us pleasure because it allows us to place ourselves in the place of the characters and try to overcome the same obstacles that they have to face and try and survive the end of days. There is also a seemingly endless number of possible ways that the world can end. This element works in the Age of Miracles because the slowing is a whole new way of destruction that no one predicted. It is not like a massive disease or nuclear war, the slowing is not the dangerous part, it's what the slowing causes that can be deadly like famine. The slowing is an end of the world scenario that people can survive and adapt too, and
ReplyDeleteI think that is what people want to hear, that some ways the world can end are survivable.
Recently there have been many books, movies, and even video games based around an average person going through an end of the world situation. These stories with the same base have been selling like crazy because currently people are enamored with the possibility of the world ending. I believe this is partly because of the recent predicted end of the world in 2012. The 2012 prediction made doomsday seem more realistic to most individuals. People thinking that such a scenario could actually happen, launched thoughts like “How would I cope with it?” End of the world stories elicit thoughts about situations that we couldn’t possibly imagine, and because we can easily place ourselves in the hero’s position the events of the story become more personal. Doomsday stories make us think about who we really are, and that is why I think we are so drawn to stories about the end of the world.
ReplyDeleteEnd of the world stories indulge us in the unimaginable experience of viewing a doomsday scenario through an average person’s life. In the Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker writes a creative and intriguing view of the end of the world. Most stories about doomsday have to do with zombies or a nuclear explosion, but Walker immerses us in a unique perspective of the end of the world. The doomsday base works so well for the book because it takes an average person and puts her in an end of the world experience. Julia is a character that is easy to connect with which makes the story all the more personal. As Julia goes through hardships you feel her pain, you feel her anxiety. In the end of the book when Seth has a seizer, I was devastated. I wasn’t only sad because Julia lost Seth, but also because the devastation made me think about if I lost a loved one in the same situation. In contrast you also feel her incredible hope. I especially remember this paragraph of the book:
“I do try to move forward as much as possible. I’ve decided to try to become a doctor, though some of the universities have closed. No one knows what the world will be like by the time I finally finish school.” (Walker 268)
Julia’s hope in continuing her future almost seems impossible to me, yet I cannot help but share her feeling. The Age of Miracles uses the doomsday experience so well because Julia is a character that is so compatible with the thoughts and feelings of an average person.
Eric shared a unique and interesting point by bringing up the event of 2012 and how it has affected the fictional literature of this era. It is true that the end of the Mayan calendar has brought a long list of end of the world fantasies with it as well as bringing the prospect of the end of the world closer to home, but I find that the idea of the world ending is 2012 is an effect of human nature along with the stream of screen plays and novels that have followed in its wake. The Mayans did not predict that the world would end; their calendar simply came to an end. It was the current population that thought 2012 spelled out doomsday. There is something in human nature that dreads and relishes the thought of a final, devastating end.
DeleteTo further investigate the topic of why humans eternally seem to be grasping for a so-called “doomsday”, I read over some of the other comments, and I believe that Sam brought up a point that can help further explain the situation. Sam says: “As a species, our main goal is simply to stay alive to pass on our genes to the next generation.” As the human species has manipulated their environment, making it safer and more comfortable, they have eradicated a majority of the threats that ancient humanity had to face. It is instinct to be prepared, scared, and fight to survive, but the need for this instinct is rapidly diminishing. In their desperation to experience this fear, humans have invented their own monsters, be it germs, rollercoasters, or novels depicting the end of the world.
Eric also brought up that people enjoy envisioning themselves in perilous situations such as an end of the world scenario. We always contemplate what it’s like to play the hero, which is why authors often write their characters as average people. An average hero, as Eric points out, is easier to connect with, because a person can visualize himself in the hero’s place. The connection between reader and character brings more emotion into the story. Karen Thompson Walker does an exceptional job of including the average events in her story alongside the catastrophic ones. The reader is able to connect with Julia’s problems with growing up, even if he finds it challenging to connect with her problems concerning the end of the world. In conclusion, I believe that human nature builds around the concept of the end of the world, resulting in admirable pieces of literature and art such as the Age of Miracles.
I think the reason we are drawn to end of the world stories is because we like seeing how humanity can actually handle this kind of situation. In stories like The Walking Dead, we are given very interesting views on how certain characters, mainly the villains, are corrupted by this new setting. This happens in The Age of Miracles, as the so-called “real-timers” are changed by their diverging opinions from the rest of society. As the book progresses, their lifestyles start to become more and more different than those who go by a regular clock schedule. This changes certain people, such as Julia’s friend Gabby and her piano teacher Sylvia. They both change from regular, everyday people to outcasts of society, as they end up leaving the Julia’s life altogether. Eventually, this ideology dies out as several of the “real-timers’ loss their sanity or just go back to using clocks.
ReplyDeleteThis environment may also have changed Julia’s father, as he changes from being a regular, supportive, optimistic dad, to being secretly dishonest and impulsive. This leads to him to have an affair with Sylvia, much to the Julia’s, and possibly her mother’s, distress. Fortunately, he comes back to supporting his family again after the death of the grandfather is discovered.
This shows a similar conflict to Lord of the Flies. In that story, the boys struggle with keeping their humanity as they’re separated from society. In apocalyptic stories, society itself is crumbling and it brings an even tougher challenge to remain civilized. In those tales, mankind is more of a danger to it themselves than whatever the world-destroying event is, whether it’s zombies or a natural disaster.
However, this environment may change people for the better, as a boy that Julia has a crush on named Seth ends up becoming more social and outspoken than before. In more extreme stories, like a zombie scenario one, an everyday man may become a brave leader of a group. While the element doesn’t work quite as deep in The Age of Miracles as it does in other stories like The Walking Dead, it still shows that the end of the world changes people, whether for better or for worse.