The Qualities Of Survival In Charles Darwin's Alas, Babylon

A crisis has materialized. After many tensions, the United States is under nuclear attack, and he who has outstanding traits will have the greatest chance of survival. This is “survival of the fittest”, presented by scientist Charles Darwin. In the novel Alas, Babylon, one man and his “family” pushed through the dark times with several characteristics. The qualities of loyalty, resourcefulness, and wisdom and knowledge provided a greater chance of finding light in an otherwise dark time. The first and most imperative quality Randy and his family possessed was loyalty, known as faithfulness and trust. Without loyalty, no other traits would be of value – surviving the crisis depended on trust and union. An initial example of loyalty was from the telegram Mark sent Randy that reads, “Urgent you

One great example of wisdom appeared in the conversation between Preacher and Peyton, where Preacher explained, “To catch fish, you gotta think like a fish…I’d just put a little weight next to my hook so that goldfish would sink right down where the big bass lie.” (Frank, 291-292). Preacher’s years of experience as a fisherman was of value to Peyton, as his experience assisted her in catching four bass for the family to eat. An example of knowledge presents itself when comparing Randy and Dan to those such as Pete, Porky Logan, and Bigmouth Bill. Randy and Dan had knowledge of the dangers of radioactivity and so attempted to define these dangers to the rest of the town. Additionally, they prevented their own family from devastation. On the other hand, the radiation in the jewelry acquired from Porky Logan injured the uneducated Pete and Bigmouth Bill; Porky Logan died swimming in his pool of radioactive jewelry. These examples exhibited the relevance that wisdom and knowledge have for