Alcohol
This powerful fiction doomsday novel is set in Australia in the aftermath of the nuclear disasters in the northern hemisphere. Someone, somewhere, started World War III. The last survivors of humanity helplessly await the atomic rain and dust headed their way. This is the poison that will wash away all traces of people and most animals from this earth. This novel portrays interesting and moving descriptions of different ways people react to the near approach of certain death. I think Shute's purpose in writing this is to make us think if anything like this is possible if a World War III was to come about. Are we getting too smart for our own good considering the fact that we could destroy our entire existence? This novel was published in 1957. Nevil Shute was a British-born Australian novelist and an accomplished storyteller. Shute was born In Ealing, Middlesex on January 17,1899. Shute was educated as an aeronautical engineer and he used his expertise on technical issues and knowledge of aviation in his books. Shute was educated at schools in Oxford, Shrewsbury, and Woolrich. Shute graduated from Oxford in 1922 and then joined the de Havilland Aircraft Company. He worked as an aeronautical engineer
This passage is Peter telling his wife Mary about the alternative to succumbing to the radiation poisoning. He only tells her this because he doesn't know if he will be back from his voyage to the sea by the time the radiation reaches his family and he does not want them to have to suffer. Mary is someone upset by this gesture because she still likes to have faith and believe that everything will be alright. "The thing is this, dear. There's no recovery. But you don't have to die in a mess. You can die decently, when things begin to get too bad. You just take one of them with a drink-any kind of drink. And then you just lay back, and that's the end" (139). The few who remain optimistic and try to believe that maybe there is some hope try to go on living their lives normally by planning garden works for the next ten years, going to work, watching Grand Prix races, learning to type, and learning to type. These people still have some value for life. The people who are pessimistic and believe that death from the radiation is inevitable have no value for their lives. They look at situations with the attitude of "what's the point? We're going to die anyway". Many of the pessimists indulge in sexual activity because they feel they want to be doing things they enjoy during their last months on earth. Peter comments, "These bloody women, sheltered from realities, living in a sentimental dream world of their own! If they'd face up to things they could help a man, help him enormous
Some common words found in the essay are:
Grand Prix, Nuclear Age, War III, Mary Holmes', Victoria Shute's, Middlesex January, , Aircraft Company, Captain Towers, British-born Australian, shute educated, world war iii, remain optimistic, dream world, northern hemisphere, war iii, radiation poisoning, occurred novel, world war, train ride, aeronautical engineer, met train ride,
Approximate Word count = 1016
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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