Humanity has always reflected on the idea of its own demise in the near future and on the multiple scenarios that depict the end of times. This obsession has led to a very popular conception nowadays and it can be seen in many forms of media and literature. The vision of a dark and tragic future has penetrated our minds, giving birth to numerous conceptions and imaginings of an apparent doomsday scenario, which can be both fascinating and terrifying at the same time. The human mind is capable of conceiving several depictions of the end of the world, which are fueled by our world’s contemporary problems, the evolution of technology, religion or other science fiction theories. Whether society comes to an end by alien invasions, asteroid impacts, outbreaks of zombie pandemics, God’s Judgment, deadly viruses or nuclear wars, mankind’s strong appeal towards these fictional and very detailed illustrations of Armageddon will continue to surface and entertain us. First of all, the post-apocalyptic genre deals primarily with the downfall of human society, the decline of any moral codes, principles or traditions, the destruction of the environment and extermination of human life. At present, the most popular theories regarding humanity’s annihilation are related to the themes of technophobia –the fear of advanced technology- and nuclear war, mostly because of the important developments scientists and military researchers have achieved recently. Although these advancements have made our lives easier, they may also bring about more negative effects and a least pleasant outco The world Cormac McCarthy wrote about is certainly the grimmest and most decayed place a person may live in me for society, which has become addicted to technology. Mo... ... middle of paper ... ... put it in your mouth and point it up. Do it quick and hard. Do you understand? Stop crying. Do you understand?” (McCarthy, 2006:58). As uncomfortable as it may seem, the Father’s actions are justified because of the love he carries for his son. The two unnamed characters of the story prove that human dignity, decency and common sense can be more powerful than violence and the path of cowardness which leads to cannibalism. Their strong bond symbolizes the best features and qualities that a human being can exhibit. The nameless protagonists manage to survive against all the obstacles beset by the environment and the dangers represented by cannibals, simply by making right choices, appealing to their morality and decency. They demonstrate that humans can survive in a post-apocalyptic world without resorting to horrifying actions and to a barbaric state of humanity.
Once the author made his view clear, he goes on to display possible scenarios of how human existence can change within the next millennium. He proposed four possible scenarios. The first scenario that Nash discusses, the “wasteland scenario” depicts
Marked by two world wars and the anxiety that accompanies humanity's knowledge of the ability to destroy itself, the Twentieth Century has produced literature that attempts to depict the plight of the modern man living in a modern waste land. If this sounds dismal and bleak, it is. And that is precisely why the dark humor of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. shines through our post-modern age. The devastating bombing of Dresden, Germany at the close of World War II is the subject of Vonnegut's most highly acclaimed work, Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death. Vonnegut's experience as an American POW in Dresden fuels the narrative that unconventionally defines his generation through the life and death of Billy Pilgrim. The survival of Billy Pilgrim at Dresden and his re-entry to the shell-shocked world reveal a modern day journey of the anti-hero. Vonnegut's unusual style and black satire provide a refreshing backdrop for a vehement anti-war theme and enhance his adept ability to depict the face of humanity complete with all of its beauty and blemishes. Likewise, Vonnegut adds his own philosophy concerning time, our place in it, and connection (or disconnection) to it and one other. Perhaps the most crucial step in understanding this intriguing work is to start with its title, which holds the key to Vonnegut's most prevailing theme.
The global climate changes have brought devastating geographical changes over the last century. With unfunded solutions and internal political conflicts driven by pure ignorance, our species has begun digging its own grave. Roy Scranton, author of “Learning how to Die in the Anthropocene”, has already begun contemplating the inevitable. By incaptivating his readers with his detailed description of his military past; he draws a parallel to the future he describes as inescapable. Using descriptive logic and overwhelming emotion, Scranton successfully convinces that in order to live in the new age us humans have forged, we must learn how to die.
Life is a struggle to defy the inevitable. Since the beginning of time man has contemplated his own death, labored over the meaning of life, and created religion to explain all that he can not understand. Death at some point will catch up with all of society and at some point the entire world as human beings have come to know it will come to an end. No one can hide from death or attempt to out run its ever-expanding claw; death is absolute. It is possibly the only certainty in all of human existence. Whether the sun explodes sucking itself into its own infinite gravity, or human beings finally manage to destroy this beautiful planet, life will end. All great societies have come to tragic anti-climatic ends. The Romans slowly poisoned themselves through their use of an amazingly complex lead piping system, and Athens feel eventually to an equally dismal fate. In our modern society the world has watched as many threats of global destruction have come and gone. The fact that currently the nuclear arsenal of the United States alone could easily destroy all of earth leaves many fearing that the end is near. The contemplation of ones eventual demise leads one to think that life is no longer worth the effort to live. In Cats Cradle the destruction of the world is realized by the invention of a substance capable of freezing all water on earth. Its inventor was a peaceful man, a man who invented for the sake of discovery, for the sake of the human race. It was only after his death, that the greed and stupidity of man allowed this substance to end all man has struggled to create. Throughout human existence man’s disregard for his home and his environment is evident in all aspects of cultural. This disregard for the frailties of nature will eventually lead to the death of all humanity.
Shelley’s Frankenstein can be considered as one of the first representations of a possible apocalypse that is now ubiquitous, humans will someday create something that will destroy mankind. In different works, this Armageddon takes various forms: in the iconic movie The Matrix man-made machines enslave the human race, while in another popular movie I Am Legend, a genetically engineered virus mutates and kills the vast majority of the world’s population. Frankenstein, however, is not intended to give the reader an impending sense of doom, instead it warns about the consequences of creating something, no matter the intent behind its creation, without exercising proper caution.
“The story employs a dramatic point of view that emphasizes the fragility of human relationships. It shows understanding and agreemen...
Understanding the Bible and other holy texts in relation to human history is a challenging enterprise. Daniel Friedmann, in his third book of religious interpretation, tackles a truly daunting question: Do our holy texts offer solid clues as to when the world as we know it may come to an end? Roadmap to the End of Days contends that through study of scripture and history it is indeed possible to recognize events that will preclude the end of human history and the exact time frame in which our end of days will most likely occur.
Through the use of recurring ideas of death, hope and reality, McCarthy conveys that there is no escape; either from the universal destruction caused by the apocalypse or the emotionally destructive effects of dreams. In The Road, dreams reveal the human nature of the characters. McCarthy illustrates the gradual dehumanization of people when life completely changes; he argues that all the terrible things that people could do have already been done, underlining the frailty of our existence. McCarthy ultimately shows us how reliant we are on the past and that we must let go of the past to make way for the future.
On July the 16th 1945, in a remote part of the New Mexico desert, the most terrifying device in human history was used for the first time. The first atomic bomb was detonated. On that day mankind finally took the apocalypse out of the hand of God and put it in their own, they gave so much power to so few that a war could be ended in seconds. This is the first and most powerful indication that mankind will destroy itself if we do not “keep track.”
The author of “The Day After”, portrays the most disturbing image of the future through the vivid details of the events occurring in the movie. To summarize, the plot of the movie is pretty much about how nuclear weapons will eventually be the doom of human civilizations. There’s nothing supernatural about a nuclear war, the fate of the world is entirely within our clumsy human hands. What could be more horrifying? In the movie, humans are instantly demolished, just by the radiation of the nuclear bombs, even though there was a great distance.
But I am prouder - infinitely prouder - to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle field but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in Heaven.' (Douglas Macarthur)
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world”, I think this is a pretty accurate depiction of how I would imagine the world descending into the inevitable chaos of something as mindboggling as the end of the world (Yeats). All would be falling apart, if every person was aware that within 24 hours that the world would be ending, I think there would be a crowds of people fulfilling their most perverse desires, be it murdering their neighbors, ransacking malls, or even setting cities on flames. “When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man”, a Latin term meaning “world spirit”, Spiritus Mundi makes the reader think that no matter where a person lives, the chaos and distress of the apocalypse does not discriminate, every last person is interconnected in one way or another, and when the world ends, this will be clear. A sphinx has the body of a lion and a head of man, but is this truly universal knowledge? Would someone that lives in a place as measured and monitored as, North Korea, think the same if they saw something so unusual? Perhaps they might just think that they had been slipped some kind of psychedelic drug or what not, but it is interesting to consider the notion that everyone’s collective unconscious is interrelated and only something as devastating as the Armageddon could reveal
To wives and slaves; and, wide as his command, Scattered his Maker's image through the land. (l. 1-10)
When someone thinks about the definition of a father, he or she thinks about the support, care, love, and knowledge a father gives to his offspring. Most people automatically believe that biological fathers, along with the mothers, raise their children. However, that is not always the case. There are many children across the world who are raised without their father. These children lack a father figure. People do not realize how detrimental the lack of a father figure can be to the child, both mentally and emotionally. Enrolling boys between the ages of 5 to 16 without father figures in programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, that involve building a relationship with someone who can serve as a role model is essential to prevent males from depression, difficulty in expressing emotions, and other consequences of having an absent father figure.
Everyone freaks out about that one day. That day that comes with Zombies, mass murders, with dead people everywhere, and the world possibly ending. Doomsday. I actually might have experience with this. Today is the day that scientists predict that the world will end. Of course no one believes them because after the Mayan calendar ran out, we were still alive and well. I wasn’t alive then, but my ancestors were.