My Dear Readers,
I just finished a very interesting—almost on the brink of freaky weird—book called The Year of the Flood written by Margret Atwood. As many of you know, this book touches on so many intriguing topics and themes that are seamlessly integrated into the plot of the book. Let’s take a quick dive into one of these themes that happen to be the most thought provoking to me! One topic in this book is the barbaric behavior of the human race when the contagious disease strikes the masses. It may be very shocking for some people to realize what they can become when every mold of society is torn away, and everyone is fighting for themselves in times of desperation. The book talks about “when the Waterless Waters rise… the people will try to save themselves from drowning. They will clutch at any straw. Be sure you are not that straw, my Friends, for if you are clutched or even touched, you too will drown.” I think that this quote perfectly describes the nature of humans, especially Americans in my personal experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has really shown me how truly individualistic Americans can be. They refuse to wear masks because they don’t want it infringing on their rights (for their own good) and don’t care about their potential to spread the virus to high-risk persons (for the good of others). They would rather not wear a mask for their own comfort or political reasons rather than take the slightest chance that it could protect the ones around them. Among other mass character changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States of America has experienced extreme social, political, and economical distress. The people in The Year of the Flood experienced a dramatic change in their daily lives when the “waterless flood” hit and the same thing is true regarding the current corona virus pandemic. It’s crazy to think that the United States could be compared to a fictional book about a post-apocalyptic world. The mold that society builds for us during our lifespan has seemed to crack, allowing the raw, natural human mannerisms to come forth and expose itself to the rest of us. People have really showed their true colors during these trying times, but I think this pandemic has provided a learning experience to everyone and perhaps we will be better for it. I think Adam One would agree with me there! The link provided here is an Inside Edition clip about the invasive anti maskers and how they are recking havoc! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zT15C7eqnI I also think it’s important to bring up something that has caught my eye throughout my experience reading The Year of the Flood. What is with the color pink? Throughout many instances in the book, Toby and Ren happen to use pink towels, wear pink hats, and use tons of pink colored everyday objects; "there are pink sheets and pink pillows, and pink blankets too — soft cuddly colours, pampering infant colours — though she doesn’t need the blankets, not in this weather.” While I am still puzzled about what all the pink is in reference to, I did some research and found that pink is commonly used as the color of universal love of oneself and of others. There are lots of other theories about the use of the color pink that can be found here (this is also where I did some of my own digging): https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-pink.html. This fits right in with the doctrine of the God’s Gardeners and the teachings of the Christian church. Could this prove deep down that Toby was actually a better fit for the cult than she previously thought? Meaning that the great flood had changed her more than she would have liked to believe. Alternately, does the pink represent the little girl still in her relating back to the times before the great flood? Interesting how Margret Atwood was able to integrate so many topics into one story and even go as far as symbolism in a simple color. Bravo, Margret, Bravo! Photo Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-maskers-are-new-anti-vaxxers-threatening-public-health-coronavirus-2020-7
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AuthorJosephine Graft is a passionate student who believes in the power of the human mind. Anything is achievable when you put your mind to it! Archives
April 2021
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