How Does Pat Frank Use Imagery In Alas Babylon

The novel alas, Babylon includes many instances of imagery as the author, Pat Frank, wishes to bring the reader into the world he has created. For example, Frank’s description of the climax of the book sets the scene in the reader's mind with terrible accuracy, Then the sound came, a long, deep, powerful rumble increasing in crescendo until the windows rattled, cups danced in their saucers, and the bar glasses rubbed rims and tinkled in terror. The sound slowly ebbed, then boomed to a fiercer climax, closer.
Randy found himself on his feet, throat dry, heart pounding. This was not the season for thunder, nor were storms forecast. Nor was this thunder. He stepped out onto the upstairs porch. To his left, in the east, an orange glow heralded the sun. In the south, across the Timucuan and beyond the horizon, a similar glow slowly faded. His sense refused to accept a sun rising and a sun setting. For perhaps a minute the spectacle numbed reaction. …
Randy, Helen, and

By describing the explosions and showing the interpretations of the characters Frank puts the reader into the mindset and position of the characters. The way he describes the scene also reflects the numbness and fear one might experience if such a disaster were to truly happen. More than just portraying the emotions and and reactions of the characters to match and instill in the reader Frank uses imagery to simply set the scene. Florence awoke at six-thirty, as always, on a Friday in early December. Heavy, stiff and graceless, she pushed herself out of bed and padded through the living room into the kitchen. She stumbled onto the back porch, opened the screen door a crack, and fumbled for the milk carton on the stoop. Not until she straightened did her China-blue eyes begin to discern movement in the hushed grey world around her. (Frank