Theme-
“Appearance vs Reality” is a major theme in the novel “Z for Zachariah”. Three scenes in the book that convey this theme are-
-The store. At first, when Ann is alone, she believes she would be able to get all the resources she needs to survive from the general store in her valley. She later realizes that this is not the case. The store is just an illusion, and it will not last forever. Its appearance is that it is an endless supply of resources, but in reality, it is just a “starter pack” as such, for it will last her a while, but not forever.
-Faro. When David’s dog, Faro, returns to the valley after disappearing for more than a year, Ann is glad to have some company. After a while though, Loomis starts to use Faro against Ann, to track down her hiding place while Ann is on the run from him. Faro’s first appearance to Ann seems to be some nice company, but in reality, he is a drain on food, and a weapon that Mr. Loomis uses against Ann.
-Mr. Loomis. When he first arrives in the valley, Ann does not know what to think of him. Throughout the novel though, while Loomis is terribly sick, Ann dreams of marrying Loomis, and starting again, but by the end of the novel, it turns out Loomis is mentally ill, and completely insane. His first appearance to Ann is that he is like a lost dog that needs help, but reality tells a very, very different story.
“Appearance vs Reality” is a major theme in the novel “Z for Zachariah”. Three scenes in the book that convey this theme are-
-The store. At first, when Ann is alone, she believes she would be able to get all the resources she needs to survive from the general store in her valley. She later realizes that this is not the case. The store is just an illusion, and it will not last forever. Its appearance is that it is an endless supply of resources, but in reality, it is just a “starter pack” as such, for it will last her a while, but not forever.
-Faro. When David’s dog, Faro, returns to the valley after disappearing for more than a year, Ann is glad to have some company. After a while though, Loomis starts to use Faro against Ann, to track down her hiding place while Ann is on the run from him. Faro’s first appearance to Ann seems to be some nice company, but in reality, he is a drain on food, and a weapon that Mr. Loomis uses against Ann.
-Mr. Loomis. When he first arrives in the valley, Ann does not know what to think of him. Throughout the novel though, while Loomis is terribly sick, Ann dreams of marrying Loomis, and starting again, but by the end of the novel, it turns out Loomis is mentally ill, and completely insane. His first appearance to Ann is that he is like a lost dog that needs help, but reality tells a very, very different story.
Dystopia-
A “dystopian” novel has a society setting characterized by human chaos and misery- overall an oppressive society. It is a Greek derived word that is used to describe an imaginary place that is undesirable and frightening. “Dystopia” is literally translated into “not-good place”. I think the book “Z for Zachariah” is a dystopian novel because the protagonist is alone in a deserted valley, inhabited by only herself, wildlife, and an insane man. She was restricted to the small valley and had no-where to run, because she was surrounded by dead land, killed off by nuclear war. She was alone, and feared she would be alone for the rest of her life, which makes it a dystopian novel.
A “dystopian” novel has a society setting characterized by human chaos and misery- overall an oppressive society. It is a Greek derived word that is used to describe an imaginary place that is undesirable and frightening. “Dystopia” is literally translated into “not-good place”. I think the book “Z for Zachariah” is a dystopian novel because the protagonist is alone in a deserted valley, inhabited by only herself, wildlife, and an insane man. She was restricted to the small valley and had no-where to run, because she was surrounded by dead land, killed off by nuclear war. She was alone, and feared she would be alone for the rest of her life, which makes it a dystopian novel.