Oh my goodness! I am almost in disbelief. This section was so exciting and so alive that I read it, in its entirety, in one sitting. I was shocked, to say the least, at the dramatic turn of events experienced within these several pages. We experience Lauren's development into an almost omnipotent leader. We also experience the benefits of Lauren's tremendous foresight come to life as her struggle to survive becomes instantaneously greater.
Following her father's disappearance and thus inevitable death, Lauren is forced into a new role. Her father's absence signifies the beginning of the definite downfall of Lauren's community. Her dad's loss is tragic due to his having such a dominant role in the community. Soon after his death, both Joanne's family and the Garfield's give into indentured servitude and leave for Olivar. Lauren, realizing her town's fate, continues to keep her survival plans in the back of her mind until they surface and come to life on July 21, 2027.
Only three (to our knowledge) managed to escape the death of the town. Laruen, Harry, and Zahra were able to avoid the violent fire and the array of gunshots that engulfed their community. Lauren united with Harry and Zahra by happenstance, and together they formed a "pack." The pack seems to be each of their best chance at survival, but exhaustion, hunger, and an abrupt change in lifestyle is putting a strain on them all. I am very eager to see how Lauren will cope with her hyper empathy in the pages to come. I am also anxious to see how their pack will handle itself in the violent altercations it will indefinitely face.
John, I really like the ideas and points you bring up here. They weren't things I thought to consider myself. I have to agree that Lauren's father's disappearance was the beginning of the end for their little community and to find out that everyone seems to be gone blew me away.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you consider Lauren, Harry, and Zahra each other's best chance of survival when they never seemed like people who would go together at all. I'm still not sure they'll be enough together to survive.
It was really great reading your point of view on this section though. It certainly opened my eyes to more than I had previously.