Z For Zachariah (1) 3dl7

Robert C O’Brien’s novel, Z Zachariah, has been strongly influenced in its themes by one of the most significant events that occurred in the 20th century, which were the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Cold War which started shortly after the Allies were victorious of World War II which lasted until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. These evented showed the world how potentially destructive the bombs could be, making people protest against these atomic bombs and nuclear missiles. Robert C O’Brien has expressed his concern about an all-out nuclear war following the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis. Robert C O’Brien wrote his book to warn people about what might happen to the world if a nuclear war ever did break out. He envisages that it would leave virtually humanity wiped off the face of the earth except for a few extremely luck people who were either very far away from the centre of destruction of the atomic bombs or lived in a valet that’s was not contaminated. He explores two central themes which he thinks that reveal his greatest concerns about what will happen in the aftermath of the holocaust. The themes that he explores are the human greed for power which likely initiated the conflict in the first place and survival after the holocaust. Human lust and greed for power is evident in this story as a theme which started the nuclear war In the first place. This is shown through Mr Loomis, who is trying to take control over the whole valley and Ann herself. This is shown through his actions throughout the whole book. Loomis tries to assert his own power over her most of the time. This is shown in page 86, which says: “He turned towards me, swinging the gun round so that it was aimed at me.” This shows that he wants to keep Ann and not to let her out of her sight. Mr Loomis also tries to assert his own control over Ann by trying to rape her on page 136: “Then suddenly, both his hands were over me, not roughly but in a possessive way…” Also, Mr Loomis also wants to make Ann a tool that he could control, but she refuses to be under his control, which is shown on page 192, which is “I will never agree to be your prisoner. Also the radiation suit gave him power, since the suit was the only way out of the valley. Survival is another important theme in the story which starts when the nuclear war happens. This is when Ann has somehow survived the nuclear war in her valley when everything else has been destroyed or contaminated with radiation. O’Brien uses the technique of diary entry to help us feel like the reader is in the story and feel her own loneliness and horror she feels as she tries to survive. This is shown on page 1 which says “I am afraid.” This shows that simple sentence are effective in stories. In conclusion, the book Z for Zachariah is a book which warns the world on the dangers of an all-out nuclear war which could destroy humanity, as we know it and the try and convey the message to people who might think of trying to fire missiles. Robert C O’Brien has shown his own concern in the book by trying to express what might happen through emphasis of at least two themes in the book, which the main ones are power and survival, which are both evident in the story.