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Power of Choice in Apocalypses



In Atwood's Year of the Flood, a common theme that carries throughout the novel is the idea of survival and what it looks like to survive an apocalypse. We see this through Toby and Ren's story, and even Amanda’s story as Ren tells it. Atwood describes the darker side of surviving an apocalypse when she writes “She says you trade what you have to. You don’t always have choices” when Ren refers to Amanda (58). In apocalyptic situation, there are those like Amanda and Toby are part of the group of people in the novel who must do what they can to survive. They are the ones without the advantages of money, power, and influence. They simply live in the consequences of those who made their world as it is.


The desire for survival and lack of choice is evident Toby finds herself in a predicament where she must join the Gardeners or else get killed by Blanco. She has no other options. There is nothing left for her to do. In a similar manner, Amanda and her mother must do what she can to get out of the floods of Texas. The desire to survive and stay alive can trump moral, religious, and personal convictions. It drives people’s actions, forcing them to do things they would not do under normal circumstances. Even when it seems like there is a choice, the desire to stay alive becomes the dominating force in an apocalypse where the world seems to be ending. This can be seen when Toby joins the Gardeners, even though she is not fully committed to their ideas. Towards the end of the book, we see also see this when the ex-Gardeners put aside their no-meat policy in favor of eating meat. As the society in the book is ripped apart at its seams, those who lack certain advantages also lack the power of choice.




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