Alas,+Babylon+Essay

Alas, Babylon Essay How would you react in a time of crisis? Would you melt or would you harden? In Pat Frank’s novel __Alas Babylon__ an important quote is said. In the novel the character Dan Gunn says “Some nations and some people melt in the heat of crisis…Others meet the challenge and harden (132).” By saying melt or harden Dan is using metaphors to compare how people react in times of crisis. When he says people melt he is talking about the people who cannot adjust in times of crisis and become so scared that they breakdown and some even die. The people he says will harden are the people who can adjust to crisis and survive. This statement is true and there are countless examples of people who melt and harden in the book and in real life. In this book there are many examples of people who melt. Edgar Quisenburry, a banker in Fort Repose is one of those people. When the United States is attacked by the Soviet Union Edgar realizes that money is worthless and that he is not important anymore. He believes that money is everything and when it becomes worthless he melts. The author shows this when he writes, “He found the old, nickel-plated revolver…He put it to his temple, wondering if it would work. It did (p.122).” Dan Gunn gives other examples of people who melt in crisis when he says, “Dozens of people killed themselves for the same reason (133).” In this book there are also many examples of people who harden. Randy is one of those people who hardens. He went from a single bachelor who did not have to worry about anyone else, to a person who becomes the leader of Fort Repose who has to worry about the welfare of everyone. He also takes everyone into his house and cares and protects them. He rises to the occasion and stays calm and plans what is best for the family. Another example of a person who hardens is Dan Gunn. Once the bombs were dropped on the U.S. Dan did not worry about himself but took care of everyone in the hotel who had a problem. Dan puts other peoples’ safety in front of his own and tries to control the situation. Dan shows how much work he has to do when he says, “I have to deliver this baby, and I have to check in at the clinic-God knows what’s waiting for me there-and I have to see Bloomfield (p.105)” Dan did all of this and more on the day the bombs were dropped. This shows that Dan is a person who hardens and can adjust to adversity. This quote also applies to the real world. One example of a group of people who harden in time of crisis is the Chilean Miners. Immediately once they were trapped in the mine they did not panic. They kept their heads and made a plan. They rationed food and divided jobs between themselves. Because of their calmness and ability to adjust to their surroundings they were able to survive. Examples of people who melted in times of crisis are people in 1929 that killed themselves once the stock market crashed. They had so much money invested in the stock market that once it crashed they had nothing left. They were so scared that they broke down under pressure and melted. In __Alas, Babylon__ Pat Frank realistically shows how people react to adversity. All of the examples above prove that in times of crisis some people melt and breakdown while others harden and adjust. So ask yourself, if you were in a crisis would you melt, or would you harden?