LITR 4632 Literature of the Future

Sample Student Midterms 2009

Denise Pope

Traveling Through Time

            When signing up for Literature of the future I had no idea what to expect, however I figured it would remotely compare to the other Literature courses that I have previously taken at UHCL.  After reviewing the syllabus and noticing that I would be reading the book of “Revelations” and Science Fiction texts, I was not very excited. However, my time spent reading the material for the course and involving myself in the classroom discussions have been an astonishing experience and has also opened my mind to many different concepts about life itself. Even though I was hesitant about traveling outside my own beliefs, I soon found that I was indulging myself into the readings and reflecting on all the different outcomes the world has to offer. Each text and story that we have read in the course so far is somewhat different from the other, but can be compared on some levels. I have enjoyed expanding my imagination and mind when comparing and contrasting these stories not only to one another, but to me and the world.

            When comparing and contrasting the texts and readings for the course, it is essential to remain open-minded about others beliefs and desires about culture and meaning of life. The art of storytelling can include a series of events in multiple genres and is significant in many ways by inviting humans to imagine what the unknown has to offer. In Literature of the Future the narratives we have explored are categorized as Apocalyptic, Evolutionary, and Alternative.

            I was raised to believe that the book of “Revelations” was the only way that this world would come to an end. I imagined the world, as many others as an apocalyptic world and was never completely open-minded about other options. There are diverse human behaviors in the world and each one has a certain meaning and belonging. When considering the diverse human behaviors and beliefs, there are several paths that one can take which include apocalyptic, evolutionary, and alternative. Every human in the world has the authority to believe in the way he or she enters and exits this world. With no conscience while being a human of how we enter or exit this world no one person can absolutely state a certain way.

              The book of “Revelations” presents us with danger including smoke, fire, and death, but also instills hope with afterlife. When Jesus is speaking in Chapter 1 verse 17, he states, “I am the first and the last.” He also states in chapter 22 verse 13, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” These two verses leads one to believe that he is the one that creates the dangers of smoke, fire, and death, yet also creates the beautiful thought of afterlife.  As found in all different narratives, there are symbols, which can help bring out the meaning of the story. There are multiple symbols that we can interpret in “Revelations.” For example, with the image being seven and the meaning being church. “Revelations,” as with many different narratives also offers a romantic swing at the end with deliverance and salvation.

             Then we change from scripture to novel, two different genres, which have similarities also. In Parable of the Sower, Lauren also believes that there is a higher power and that the world will eventually come to an end and also believed, as in “Revelations,” that there would be salvation and deliverance. When Lauren is talking to her dad she asked him, “Do you think our world is coming to an end,” which leads us to believe that she already has some inclination in the apocalyptic belief.

On the other hand, evolution is also a possibility in the text. There is a realization in the text on page 56, when discussing about the world coming to an end it states, “Yes, but once they realized it wasn’t they also realized there was a lot of vacant land available for the taking, and if they had a trade, they realized they could demand better pay for their work. A lot of things changed for the survivors.” At this point the story turns from an apocalyptic theme to evolutionary.  Lauren believed that she would leave the life she had “inside the walls” and would enter into a different one, which she does, as a man. She believes that this is the only way to survive what her new life has in store for her. Just as many humans believe in the evolution, Parable of the Sower includes a cycle of life, but in the apocalyptic life, in the end, Lauren does find salvation at Acorn. When comparing the book of Revelation and Parable of the Sower, both are predicting the future, when contrasting the two, Parable of the Sower is introducing a new age.

There are several ways to view the future other than Apocalyptic and evolution. The Time Machine includes evolution and also introduces an alternative future. Michelle Glenn states in her 2001 midterm, “Clearly, it is more fact-based than what is usually found in the evolutionary material such as The Time Machine, with its crystal. Much like evolutionary material, many aspects of our lives correlate with alternative narratives.”   When inventing the time machine, it is a cycle of life and change. When the creature Eloi and the Morlocks meet, an extraordinary choice of the way one may view the future is created.

In “The Garden of Forking Paths” many different possibilities of worlds are introduced. The story confirms a multi-cultural possibility for humans. Normally, apocalypse and evolution are the only choices one can imagine and believe in for the future. “The Garden of Forking Paths” presents nature and reality as an enormous and complex future that to some may not be comprehendible by the human mind.