Alas Babylon Analysis

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Holocaust: a great or complete devastation or destruction. Alas, Babylon, written by Pat Frank, is a frightening pessimistic story because the dramatic effects of a nuclear war almost wipes out the population, causes more criminal activity, and a rampage of diseases to spread across the country. The life of the River Road Family took a fatalistic turn after a massive bombing by the Soviet Union kills millions of people, including their friends and family. “This was the end. Civilization was crushed” (page 103). The population of the United States was dramatically affected by the disaster because the explosion took out the President, so without the Government running smoothly and half of the population blasted out of existence, the civilization of Fort Repose and other cities are dwindling down. “I don’t see how we could get rocked from that distance. Maybe they hit Palm Beach and Miami. Maybe they missed and pitched two in the Glades” (page 93). Once the Bragg Family felt…show more content…
The Highwaymen were the scandalous criminals that patrolled the highways and traffic roads to scavenge for useful goods. “With the use of the Hydrogen Bomb, the Christian era was dead, and with it must die the tradition of the good Samaritan” (page 84). After the many atomic bombs destroyed Orlando and other major cities, the survivors went against each other and become either hostile criminals or bystanders trying yo avoid to confliction. “Some nations and some people melt in the heat of crisis and come apart like fat in the pan” (page 132). The villainous Highwaymen, drug addicts, and gangsters all came apart at the seams when their lifestyles changed for the worse. They brutally attacked Dr. Dan Gunn and stole his car, medical tools, and scotch. The drug abusers also robbed the pharmacy for Narcotics and Stimulants to satisfy their addictions. During these chaotic times, even the kindest gentleman can turn savage against his own
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