o Background notes o Alas Babylon chapters 1

o Background notes o Alas, Babylon chapters 1 -10 o 30 Multiple Choice Questions o Study Test Review Power. Point (this Power. Point) o Pay attention to key words and phrases bolded in blue

Get out your background notes and highlight key information from this slide. § Post-apocalyptic novel = written after a major disaster § The Domino Theory – the United States feared that if countries like Vietnam and Korea turned to communism, then others would follow. § Communism - classless society in which all property is owned by the community as a whole and where all people enjoy equal social and economic status. § Manhattan Project – Soviets infiltrated Project to steal plans for atomic bomb § The Cold War officially ended in 1989 when the Berlin Wall, which was erected after WWII to separate Soviet East Berlin and Allied West Berlin, was torn down.

§ “Alas, Babylon” means disaster and Mark and Randy hear it for the first time at church § Florence believes Randy is spying on her, but she is actually spying on him (irony)

§ Randy figures out how close they are to the blasts by using the flash and sound system. § Peyton is injured (temporary retinal burns) by looking directly at the blast. § Randy drives to town to get Dan Gunn (doctor) § Riverside Inn is in a state of chaos and medical emergency. § Theme: only the strong survive § Allusion: “If the Riverside Inn sank, they must go down with the ship. ” – Titanic reference

§ Bank is in chaos! § People are withdrawing all of their money. § “By afternoon the law of scarcity had condemned the dollar to degradation and contempt. Within a few more days the dollar would be banished entirely. ” – pg. 119 § Edgar Quisenberry § “If the dollar was worthless, everything was worthless. ” § “He had been a banker all his life and that’s how he was going to die, a banker. ” § Commits suicide because he is unwilling to adapt to the situation.

Randy Bragg § Accident on the side of the road § “And yet Randy stopped” § He cannot abandon his humanity, so he stops to make sure there is something he can do to help the woman – she is already dead though. Ben Franklin § “child of the atomic age” § knowledgeable about nuclear warfare § He figured out that his father was evacuating his family by sending them to Randy’s house. § Understood radiation and fallout concerns § Estimated distance of bombs § “I’m going to fill up the sinks and pails and tubs with water. ”

§ “The Day” – pg. 123 § This war is unlike others because it was all over in one day! § Radio dependence – waiting to hear from the outside world § Mrs. Josephine Vanbruuker-Brown § Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (before the war) § PRESIDENT! (after the war) § “There have been grave dislocations of communications, of industrial, economic, and financial functions. ” – pg. 127 § Puts debts and loans on hold due to the banks crumbling § Dan Gunn visits to check on Peyton and talks with Randy about the medical situation in town. Randy learns that Edgar has killed himself.

§ Toynbee’s Theory: “Some nations and some people melt in the heat of crisis and come apart like fat in the pan. Others meet the challenge and harden. ” – pg. 133 § Admiral Sam Hazzard (retired Navy officer) § He has an old ham radio that he uses to listen to military communication. § He can understand the military terminology. § Electricity goes out when Orlando is bombed

Randy Bragg § Randy refuses a drink because his priorities are changing. § “Aren’t you drinking, Randy? ” - Dan “No, I don’t feel like I want one. ” – Randy Ben Franklin § Randy gives Ben a gun for protection. § “‘You load up your gun, Ben, ’ he said. ‘It’s yours now. Never point it at a man unless you intend to shoot him, and never shoot unless you mean to kill. ’” – pg. 137 § Ben’s loss of innocence/childhood

§ Loss of electricity § Water shortage solution: connect all the houses on River Road using the artesian water well (Bragg’s house, Henry’s house, Admiral Hazzard’s house, Florence’s house = rely upon each other to survive) § Addicts attack Dan’s clinic looking for a drug fix. § Dan moves in to Randy’s house on River Road (theme: rely upon each other to survive). § Radio announcement of contamination zones

§ Lavinia Mc. Govern dies - no refrigeration = no insulin § Bill and Lib move in to Randy’s house (theme: value in surviving as a team. ) § Commotion at Florence’s house § Sir Percy (cat) ate Anthony (parrot) § Theme: “The strong survive. The frail die. ” – pg. 176 § Animals reverting to basic instincts. § People will do the same thing in the “new” world now that the bombs have dropped.

Randy Bragg § Rises to the challenge of leading his group and helping everyone survive. § “We’re going to have to be tough. We’re going to have to be catfish. ” – Randy to Lib § Theme: Only the strongest survive! § Weak “exotic fish” versus strong catfish § Edgar/Lavinia versus Randy/Lib/Dan/Ben/Helen Mr. Beck versus Pete Hernandez § Mr. Beck (hardware store owner) = gives Randy mason jars for free. Mr. Beck is adapting to life after the bombs. § Peter Hernandez (works at grocery store) = sells 10 pounds of salt to Randy for $200. Pete is clinging to the old ways as he allows greed to influence his actions.

§ Easter Service § Represents hope and a sense of community § Jim Hickey gives Randy honeycomb § “He wouldn’t like to see Mark’s kids go without” § Demonstrates human nature is essentially good § After nuclear attack, differences in races no longer matter § “There were two drinking fountains in Marines Park, one marked "White Only, " the other "Colored Only. " Since neither worked, the signs were meaningless. ”

§ Bill Mc. Govern § Elected to help Malachai with car batteries to keep radio working § Begins to enjoy life again because he feels useful § Rita Hernandez § Lives in Pistolville, a slum located near Fort Repose § Trades for all items once valuable but now useless § Got a car for trading “a case of beans, three bottles of ketchup, and six cans of deviled ham” § Believes that money and possessions have value and reflect status

§ Randy pulls out his gun to get Porky buried and later finds out he has the legal right to do so § The Mayor § Corn Whiskey § Helen’s delusion § “If I grow up, I’m not going to be a fisherman. ” § Natural resources (mushrooms, wild onions) § Iron rations § “It was a wolf…It wasn’t a dog any longer. In times like these dogs can turn into wolves. You did just right, Ben” (197)

§ Typhoid outbreak § “Typhoid was the unwelcome, evil twin sister of any disaster in which the water supply was destroyed or polluted. ” § Dan is attacked § Randy takes control under martial law § Rita’s grocery van = target for highwaymen § Randy & Lib become engaged § Plan to marry the following day on Easter Sunday

§ Metaphor – a comparison between two unlike things not using the words like or as § Mark says that Helen “is my right arm. ” He is comparing her to an essential part of himself. § “Alice, tiny, drab in black and gray, an active, angry sparrow of a woman, arrived late. ” § Simile – a comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as § "Her eyes, which reflected her moods as the river reflected the sky, were gray and opaque. “ – physical description of Lib Mc. Govern § "The air is like soup and the people are like noodles. “ – Lib discussing Fort Repose prior to “The Day. ” § Symbolism – an item that represents something of more importance § Wedding ring = love

§ Allusion – reference to a famous person, place, historical event, or literary work § “the Good Samaritan” reference to the Bible – Randy stops to help the woman on the side of the road. He discovers that she is already dead. § Riverside Inn residents compared to first-class Titanic passengers § Alas, Babylon – reference to the book of Revelations in the Bible. Randy and Mark first heard the phrase while at church, and the phrase becomes a code phrase for disaster. § Theme – life lesson or message being taught § “The strong survive. The frail die. ” – pg. 176 § Foreshadowing – hints or clues for future events § In Ch. 3, “insulin requires refrigeration”