English 444 Down and Dirty “Let’s Embrace the Horror” Study Guide
“Extraordinary measures are necessary. This is a time when citizens should be
most loyal. Most law-abiding. For the good of all.” (pg. 217) The City of
Ember
“At the same time, from thousands of leaks which had developed through the course
of the years, from the may faucets left running at the time of the Great
Disaster, from the major breaks occurring at the time of the earthquake—from all
of them, the stored water ran out from the reservoirs, and their levels fell
steadily.” (pg. 165) The Earth Abides
“Again he shook his head. The world’s gone mad, he thought. The dead walk about
and I think nothing of it… How quickly one accepts the incredible if only one
sees it enough!” (pg. 65) I Am Legend
“Silence. Vast brooding silence. Not a breeze, not a drop of rain, not a
grumble of distant thunder. The battle has ended.” (pg 201) I Am Legend
“From the first stack, religious and spiritual works in steady demand, she
brought down the King James Bible.” (pg 25) Alas Babylon
“LUP (Lifeless Undead Phenomenon)—This freak of physiological abnormality was
discovered during the war when, following certain germ-gas attacks, many of the
dead troops were found erect and performing the spasmodic gyrations which, later,
become known as the ‘loopy’s’ (LUP’s) dance.” (pg 219) I Am Legend
“Yes, as he returned to his thoughts, he realized that he was out of touch with
things entirely. He had no radio. Therefore, as far as he was concerned, there
might have been a crash of the stock market or another Pearl Harbor; something
like that would account for so few fishermen going by. At any rate, there was
little chance apparently that anyone would come to help him. He would have to
work his own way out.” (pg 5) Earth Abides
“We won it.
Babylon
We really clobbered ‘em! … Not that it matters.”
(pg 316) Alas,
“The engine started and [he] turned away to face the thousand-year night.” (pg
316) Alas, Babylon
“The box ended up at the back of a closet, shoved behind some old bags and
bundles. There it sat, unnoticed, year after year, until its time arrived, and
the lock quietly clicked open.” (pg 3) City of Ember
Why is it important the Ish’s hammer stood straight up early in the novel?
If an apocalypse was to occur would you venture from your home?
Why or why not?
If you could chose three tools to carry with you after an apocalypse what would
they be and why?
Midterm IDs
1. "It wasn't a pleasant feeling. She didn't want to want things that way."
Who felt this? Lina in City of Ember, pg. 53.
2. "She pointed to the word at the top of the paper, Egres." Explain what this
word is, and its significance. It means "exit" and it is a clue to the escape
route from Ember. pgs. 170-171.
3. What word does Doon describe in this way? "It means nonsense. I read it in a
book in the library." Hogwash. pg. 162. Who uses this same word later, and in
what context? Lina, refuting the mayor's lies. pg. 218 4. When Ish tells Chris
to get the hammer, does he? If not, who does and what is the significance of
this? Joey gets it; this symbolizes the leadership qualities that gave Ish
relative power: intellect and serious-mindedness. Joey possesses these same
qualities, which the other children recognized. pg. 220.
5. List at least two of the five qualifications Ish wrote down--why he'll live.
pg. 38
1. Will to live.
2. Always was solitary.
3. Have appendix out.
4. Moderately practical.
5. Did not suffer devastating experience of seeing loved ones die.
6. What gave Ish immunity to the plague, and Neville immunity to the vampire
bacteria?
Ish--snake bite pg. 17
Neville--bat bite pg. 144
7. Who said this: "You can't abide by Robert's Rules of Order in the jungle."
Neville pg. 146.
8. Name at least two things vampires are repelled/conquered by. pg. 91
1. The cross (unless you are a Muslim or Jewish vampire)
2. Running water
3. Sunlight
4. Stakes
5. Mirrors
6. Garlic
9. Who decodes the meaning of "Alas, Babylon"? What does it mean in general, and
specifically to the Braggs?
Alice. In general it refers to the destruction of human civilization (Babylon)
in the book of Revelations 18:9-10 (pg 35). It refers specifically to a "private
family signal" (pg 14) of the Braggs, meaning: "Hey Randy, the Russians are about
to attack us." pg 17 10. To what event does this quote refer: "The sight of
war's roseate birthmark on the sky choked back their words."
"Two nuclear explosions" in South Florida; Randy, Helen, Ben Franklin, and Peyton
saw this sight. pg. 92
Three Essay Questions
1. Discuss the way in which a character uses literacy/research/book knowledge to
better him or herself.
2. Discuss the different coping techniques people employ for dealing with
devastating events.
3. Discuss the role of libraries in one or more of the works we've read so far.
1. Ish states when referring to Em: “Her social status must have been, Ish judged, somewhat
lower than his. But there was nothing more ridiculous to contemplate, now, than all that
business of social classes.”
What does this say about humanity?
2. What function do the italics paired with the regular text have in Earth Abides? What is
the author’s possible reasoning for this pairing?
3. Why does Ish fail to bring the culture from the Old Time over to the new one? Where
does he go wrong?
4. Why was the bow the only thing that got the attention of the children in Earth Abides?
How did Ish make learning how to use it more interesting and different than the other
studies?
5. How is Robert Neville, in I Am Legend more “human” than Ish in Earth Abides?
6. In I Am Legend, Robert Neville says, “I…couldn’t,” he muttered. “I almost went several
times. Once I even packed and…started out. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t…go. I was used to
the…the house. It was a habit, just…just like the habit of living? I got…used to it.”
What does this passage say about Robert Neville’s character and humanity in general?
7. Why did Robert Neville automatically start treating Ruth the way that he treated the dog
that he found? Why was he unable to fully connect with her as a human being?
8. Robert Neville finds the dog and there is the quote:“But it was hard to keep his hands
still. He could almost feel them twitching empathetically with his strong desire to reach
out and stroke the dog’s head. He had such a terrible yearning to love something again,
and the dog was such a beautifully ugly dog.” How do you interpret this passage?
9. Compare and contrast Robert Neville and Ish. Which one do you feel has the strongest
traits and is able to live a happier life? Back up with details.
10. How are the circumstances in Alas, Babylon, with a nuclear bomb causing the destruction
more or less painful to the characters than the circumstances in Earth Abides, and I Am
Legend? Which character do you feel is better able to cope with an apocalypse and why?
11. What part does religion play in all of the books we have read thus far? What does this say
about humanity?
12. Discuss how you think humanity is better able to sufficiently survive in Alas Babylon
than in the other books we have read thus far. Or do you disagree with this statement. If
so, why? Which book do you think has the best resources for survival?
13. Compare and contrast the children in Earth Abides and Alas Babylon. Which book do
you think more realistically depicts the children and why?
IDs:
1. highway men
2. Mark
3. H-bomb
4. "They could still work in the grove, side by side, and discuss as equals the weather.....but they could
not talk politics. (Alas, Babylon p. 48)
5. the library
6. "Don't!" she cried. "Don't push me away! You're Mark! You can't deny it! You're Mark!" (Alas,
Babylon p. 222)
7. dogs
8. "the other"
9. "the symbol of their god is a hammer." (Earth Abides)
10. war
Essay:
1. Discuss similarities & differences between Ish, Neville, Randy, and either Doon or Lina.
2. How would you rebuild society? Use examples from the text as support.
3. What has this class taught you about what's important and what isn't important in a post-apocalyptic
world?
1. Who is the symbol of innocence in The City of Ember? She is also Lina's little sister who goes missing.
(Name?)
2. In The City of Ember, who is the protagonist boy who is quite precocious and how old is he?
3. What natural source found in nature is used for travel to the city of light in The City of Ember?
4. In Earth Abides, what happens to the protagonist at the beginning of the novel that lets us know that
he knows about nature and can take care of himself (hint: what injury does she sustain?) What is his full
name?
5. What is the protagonist in Earth Abides glad of (when it comes to having something surgically
removed)?
6. What music is the protagonist in Earth Abides listening to that he thinks is important? Hint: It's hot !
7. What film versions have been adapted from the novel, I Am Legend? List important leading men, titles
of films, and when they were made.
8. Who is the protagonist in I Am Legend? What are his vices? (his beverage of choice?) What biological
urges does he experience throughout the novel?
9. In Alas, Babylon which silent movie star/"it" girl is Florence said to have resembled when she was
younger?
10. In Alas, Babylon what sorts of pets does Florence own?
Essay topics:
1. In the four novels that we have covered; what is a unifying theme when it comes to thinking for one's
self?
2. How do Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) and George R. Stewart (Earth Abides) depict lust in a time of
chaos?
3. How is The City of Ember an influential moral tale for young people? How is it inappropriate for
children; does it give children too much freedom when it comes to thinking for themselves? Is 12 too
young to venture out alone? How does this reflect the neglect of the baby in Mad Max?
Identities:
City of Ember
1. “Still, something was wrong with grabbing the good things just because you could. It seemed
not only unfair to everyone else but bad for the person who was doing it, somehow. She
remembered the hunger she’d felt when Looper showed her the colored pencils. It wasn’t a
pleasant feeling. She didn’t want to want things that way” (153).
2. “ ‘In my mind, I see another city.’…. ‘It isn’t like Ember; it’s white and gleaming. The
buildings are tall and sort of sparkle. Everrything is bright, not just inside the buildings but all
around them, too, even up in the sky. I know it’s just my imagination, ut it feels real. I think
it is real’” (68).
3. “ ‘Disgraceful… A childish display of temper! Students should be glad to work for their city.
Ember will prosper if all… citizens… do… their…. best.”
“But Ember is not prospering! Everything is getting worse and worse!’” (13).
Earth Abides
1. “In the times of civilization men had really felt themselves as the masters of creation.
Everything had been good or bad in relation to man. So you killed rattlesnakes. But now
nature had become so overwhelming that any attempt at its control was merely outside
anyone’s circle of thought. You lived as part of it, not as its dominating power” (289).
2. “For in his words the younger man had not questioned, but had accepted. Ish could not
recall this person exactly, but he remembered softness and warmth, and warm feelings
flowed through him” (323).
3. “By now they were quite sure that the rats were preying one upon another. Sometimes they
saw a large rat pursing a smaller rat, and sometimes it seemed as if several banded together
in a pack to attack a single one. They seemed less numerous now, but that might be because
they were keeping out of sight under the new conditions” (117).
I am Legend
1. “He shrugged and poured more whisky in the glass; he’s given up the use of jiggers months
ago. Garlic on the windows and nets over the hothouse and burn the bodies and cart the
rocks away and, fraction of an inch by fraction of an inch, reduce their unholy numbers. Why
kid himself? He’d never find anyone else” (30).
2. “He stood against the wall clubbing slowly and weakly at the plaster, tears streaming down
his bearded cheecks, his bleeding hand pulsing with pain. Everything was gone, everything”
(47).
Alas, Babylong
1. “Who controls space controls the world” (31).
2. “ ‘So I read and I listen. I know things ain’t good, and the way I figure is that if people keep
piling up bombs and rockets, higher and higher and higher, someday somebody’s going to
set one off. The blooey!” (49).
Essays:
1. Discuss the ideas of education in the City of Ember. What is valued? What is not? Does
education really matter in a community that assigns certain jobs?
2. Compare and contrast Stewart’s character Ish and Matheson’s character Robert. Who would
survive longer? Why?
3. In The Twilight Zone, what does the man value and why? What’s the irony after he receives
what he is looking for?
Proposed Essay Questions
1. How does religion play a part in or are portrayed by the civilizations left after the apocalypses in the
reading so far?
2. Choosing any two novels, how does a lack of history affect the societies left behind after an
apocalypse?
3. When planning the future for a society, why can’t a person with a single agenda prevail? Why must
there be cooperation between different individuals?
Identities
1. libraries- Earth Abides/ Alas, Babylon
2. Sam Perkins- Alas, Babylon
3. City of Ember page 168- Clary’s monologue about how the darkness in humans causes them to let
greed devour them
4. Earth Abides- page 73- The bottom section that describes Milt and Ann’s imaginary existence in New
York.
5. colored pencils- City of Ember
6. I Am Legend- page 97- the passage about Robert’s need to own the dog for companionship
7. the Believers- City of Ember
8. Alas, Babylon- page 85- Randy’s passage about the conditioning of the children to be prepared for
the oncoming attack.
9. salt- Alas, Babylon
10. I Am Legend- page 140-141- Robert’s reasoning over why the cross was thought of as the bane of
vampires when it turns out that it isn’t.
Identifications:
City of Ember
“Still, something was wrong with grabbing the good things just because you could. It seemed not
only unfair to everyone else but bad for the person who was doing it, somehow. She remembered
the she’d felt when Looper showed her the colored pencils. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. She
didn’t want to want things that way” (DuPrau 153).
“Welcome, Refugees from Ember! This is the final stage of your journey. Be prepared for a climb
that will take several hours. Fill you bottles with water from the river. We wish you good
fortune, The Builders” (DuPrau 250).
Old and babies taken to City of Ember
Hammer
The university library
Em
“Here was he, Isherwood Williams, a strange mingling of realities and fantasies and pressures and
reactions, and there all outside was the vast empty city with misty rain falling upon the long
empty streets, and the twilight now beginning to deepen. Between the two, him and everything
outside him, there lay some kind of strange bond; as one changed, so the other changed also”
(Stewart 97).
Ruth
Fire pit
“‘I…couldn’t,’ he muttered. ‘I almost went several times. Once I even packed and…started out. But
I couldn’t, I couldn’t…go. I was too used to the…the house. It was a habit, just…just like the
habit of living. I got…used to it’” (Matheson 165).
Alas, Babylon
Essays
Compare/Contrast the characters of Ish and Robert Neville
Explain the metaphor of the caterpillar turning into a moth as the City of Ember
Is it more important to preserve the past or to build an entirely new future? Use examples from at
least two novels.