|
|
LITR 4632: Literature of
the Future Susie Gibson Comparing Swan Song by Robert
McCammon and The Stand by Stephen King. In each of these books the end of the
world has arrived. One in the form of a plague and the other in the form of a
nuclear explosion. Another
characteristic of both of these books is good vs evil.
Each book has a good group of people and a bad group of people.
In both the two sides meet to determine who will control the country. “Show me a man or a woman alone and I’ll show you a saint. Give me two and they’ll fall in love. Give me three and they’ll invent the charming thing we call ‘society’. Give me four and they’ll build a pyramid. Give me five and they’ll make one an outcast. Give me six and they’ll reinvent prejudice. Give me seven and in seven years they’ll reinvent warfare. Man may have been made in the image of God, but human society was made in the image of His opposite number, and is always trying to get back home” Glen Bateman from The Stand (Ray Walston). Question – Do you think that the quote
form Glen Bateman is an accurate description of society? What do you think he
means by the last line? Question – How do you think society
will evolve after an apocalyptic end? Will
it be different or try to convert back the way it was? Discussion Question 1 Question – Do you think that
the quote form Glen Bateman is an accurate description of society? What do you
think he means by the last line? Sandy – No, because church is a society instituted by Christ. Jonathan – What good is – I think 2 people can be good and disagree Corrie – I think you get into relativism looking at a grand scheme, there is something good when we get in big numbers. We have struggles for domination. Good is fragmented, It’s very apocalyptic. Jennifer – I believe all but the first line..saint, we’re all selfish. No one believes they’re perfect. When you are by yourself, you learn about yourself. Sandy – Can you be a saint alone? Corrie – Depends on your definition of saint, everybody struggles. Kate – Sainthood depends on how you deal with other people, if only 1 person you can’t hurt anyone else. Heather – The more people, the more problems. Susie – It ties into Parable. Question 2 Question – How do you think society will evolve after an apocalyptic end? Will it be different or try to convert back the way it was? Jennifer – Always go back to what you know, if comfort zone is still there you are gonna go back. Susie – The Stand’s comfort zone is Boulder. Cathy – If tried to do something different most people would object. Jonathan – Democracy could ruin in the time it takes a group to make a decision. Jennifer – Absolute good or bad if a king has an agenda every opinion the author has is in the book. Jonathan – Storyline is flat if no bad characters, have to have conflict for good reads. Dr. White – Reader want to identify with the good guys. Jennifer – You’re gonna pick sides.
|