The Autobiography of J.G.B

779 Words4 Pages
Essay on "The Autobiography of J.G.B" The title may mislead you, but this isn't actually a autobiography, it's a fictional short-story, written in 2009 by J.G. Ballard. The beginning is 'in medias res', in which the main character 'B' one morning wakes up in Shepperton (a suburb to London), all alone . Every town he visits is totally deserted, and the only living creature left besides himself are the birds. It is told by a third person narrator, who know every thought of the main, and only, character. Through the whole story 'B' is incredible calm. He seems more surprised than afraid, even though everybody is gone: "On waking one morning, B was surprised to see that Shepperton was deserted". Most people would probably freak out, instead of getting a general confusion, if their town got was deserted by in one night, without you even noticing. He B quickly adapts to the new environment, and it seems like he only needed a night's sleep to getting used to the thought of being all by himselfalone, and he even likes the idea of being alone: "After an initial doubt, he was relieved to see that Shepperton was still deserted". He visits several cities, and when he reaches London, the choice of attractions is delicate , the Houses of Parliament and the London Zoo, which wouldn't have been my first choice . In the zoo he discovers that he is not all by himself, though the dogs and cats are gone, the birds have stayed in their aviary, waiting to be freed. He doesn't get more than 150 km away from London, so he doesn't seem upset or desperate to figure out what happened . I also think the narrating makes the situation seem more calm calmer, and he mostly uses neutral adjectives. The most detailed description in the short-story is by the weather, which also sets the mood: "It was a calm, sun-filled day, crossed by peaceful clouds that gave no hint of any
Open Document