Name
Instructor
Course
Date
“The Year of the Flood” by Margaret Atwood
To my perception, it is a work of fearless and utterly imagination. Margaret Atwood is never daunted on what lies ahead. In fact, she takes pictures of the face of the future and lets us see what she has conjured, or, somewhat, that which we have conjured to some degree of extent. After all, she says, all things are possible and many a times, may even have happened and who can blame her for her perceptions? The book “The Year of the flood” is of course pone of the books of fiction. A beautiful book especially if you’re one that likes science fiction movies, if you like songs played in the harmonic minor, the pop songs, this is for you. It is an interesting piece of fiction dealing with a subject that is bitter-sweet in deed.
Plot Summary
Be that as it may, the novel begins in year 25, commonly known a s the Year of the Flood. Nevertheless, there is no explanation of what era the 25th year is or on what dispensation it is. In either way, we will gather that the term “Flood” refers to extinction, apparently of the few members of human species that might be caused by unknown catastrophe or plague ultimately (Akcesme, pp. 19-24). It is a year that describes events in our near future such that the times and species have changed rapidly while the social setting and environmental stability is wearing out.
It would also not be that necessary to describe such events in case they are part of history or part of the history of the reader’s experience. Even if it would not make up the reader’s experience, the reader would learn from what the author has found out. And when the readers have discovered that peradventure, they would be persuaded on what is penned down in the novel because the author holds on the principle that everything in her piece of writing is possible and might have happened thus leading to the assumption that the reader is familiar with it.
The novel narrates Toby and Ren’s story who are survivors of a devastating plague that swiped out most human life (Akcesme, pp. 20-21). This novel picture the reasons for the pandemic including the trials to face the survivors of the pandemic and it pictures two female narrators; Ren and Toby (Akcesme, pp. 34). These two were members of the God’s Gardeners when the flood hit. The two women share on how each came to be members of the organization, focused on sustainability and derives its roots from early Christian scripture with a modern-day science fiction tale.
Aspects that stood out
There is a strong feeling of affection and loyalty and mutual relationships between the characters. These characters were not insulated from setbacks and difficulties seemingly, but unlike what was expected, Toby, Ren, Amanda and the Gardeners will soon end in the failure of the human brute intentions (Akcesme, pp. 67). Even with such intricacies, such kind of relationships and loyalties spring up like the shoots of mushrooms. The real question that many think about and wrestle with is what in the sum hill is going on anyway but, amongst these characters, we see hope, the characters hanging on and not collapsing and I think this is what inspires a sense of purpose and meaning and therein, lies the heart of the novel.
Atwood invites us to hear the hymns sung by the Gardener along with meditations on sermons- “My tooth for yours, your eye for mine? Oh, if revenge did move the stars, instead of love, they would not shine”. This indicates that she means what they say especially when the hymns are used to pursue science as to the environment purpose.
When all is said and done, there will always be flaming swords and arguments. A large part of the narrative is cruel and violent. The male characters have lost their role in the society. They are not involved and developed while the women have become heartbreaking ones, sad to say. Ren’s chapters present prayer statements of an enduring soul while on the other hand, Toby undergoes a tough situation (Akcesme, pp. 35-36). Perhaps, the novel is not even an affirmation at all, leave alone, a fiction, but rather, it portrays sorrow, a heavy book that deals with battling the blues human beings are faced with. Perhaps, tender men, yet they pass through toughest times that require loyalty, boldness, patience and compassion.
Like Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood commence with after a massive pandemic after which it describes the world that brought the foundations for it. The fall of the human race can be traced through the female characters, Toby and Ren, when the flood hit. Both books are made up of interesting topics and Atwood precisely mentions this in the acknowledgements section that a lot of the novel is based in reality even though the books are fictional (Akcesme, pp. 48).
Conclusion
Based on the fatefulness about survival of species, it seems religious thinking is coming to a halt. Our pessimism no longer depends on a deity to wipe out the whole of this wicked world because of our stupidity and carnality. The novel indicates that we have learned to do it on our own through nuclear, chemical, ecological which in real sense presents the arsenal of death. The plagues that have happened proves this to be true since that is what takes place in Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Year of the Flood.”
Works Cited
AKÇEŞME, Banu. “MARGARET ATWOOD`UN MADDADDAM VE THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD ADLI ROMANLARINDA POSTMODERN EKOELEŞTİRİ KRİTİĞİ.” International Journal of Language Academy 6.23 (2018): 629-646. Print.