I. What would happen if we were told the exact date of our death?
II. Knowing the date of death and its effects on human behaviour
1. How does human behaviour change in the awareness of the date of death?
2. "The Last Night of the World" by Ray Bradbury
2.1 Summary
2.2 Analysis of the setting, the characters, and their behaviour
2.3 Influence of the historical situation on the characters' behaviour
2.4 The effects of language
2.5 Meaning of the story
2.6 Ray Bradbury's biography and influences on his writing
3. "The Knowers" by Helen Phillips
3.1 Summary
3.2 Analysis of the setting, the characters, and their behaviour
3.3 Influence of the timeline on the characters' behaviour
3.4 The effects of language
3.5 Meaning of the story
3.6 Helen Phillips' biography and influences on her writing
4. Comparison of the effects on human behaviour in the two short stories
III. Should we perhaps all know our date of death to live a better life?
IV. Bibliography
"You and everyone you've ever known will someday die. According to some psychologists, this uncomfortable truth constantly lurks in the back of our minds"1. Many people try to suppress the thought of their death throughout their whole life. Nevertheless, they try to postpone their end as long as possible by living a healthy lifestyle. But what would happen if they were actually told the exact date of their death? What effects would this information have on an individual's behaviour?2
The intention of this term paper is to describe human behaviour in the face of imminent death in general and, based on this topic, to analyse and compare it by using two short stories.
The first story, "The Last Night of the World" by Ray Bradbury, deals with the simultaneous death of all people on the same day. All adults seem to have had the same dream that the world would end on this night. The story is about a couple and how they spend their final evening together. It specifically expresses their behaviour and thoughts in their probably last hours.
The second story, "The Knowers" by Helen Phillips, is about the prediction of the exact date of someone's death. The author describes a couple with very different opinions on whether they want to know their personal date. Against her husband's wish, the wife decides to learn her date of death and only reveals the day and month to him, but not the year. The behaviour, thoughts, and feelings of the characters during the years until the expected date are described precisely.
Both short stories are primarily concerned with how the characters behave after knowing the exact date of their deaths. There are many similarities, but also some differences, which are compared after the analysis of each individual story.
The question of whether it is possible to predict the end of the world or the death of a person could probably be answered with no. To date, a few systems that can compute a possible lifetime have been developed. For example, the Mylongevity calculator created by scientists at the University of East Anglia "shows the effect of various medical and lifestyle factors on people's life expectancy. [.] [It is] based on data from the Office for National Statistics"3 and compares these records with each individual's data entry. The calculator then lists health risk factors that can have a life changing impact on the behaviour of people and their lifestyle.4 Such a lifetime calculator gives people the opportunity to influence their personal prediction by living a healthier lifestyle. But what would happen if the actual date of death was known and could not be influenced? Would people despair and panic or would they consciously choose to concentrate only on the good things in life?
The journalist Rachel Nuwer published an article for BBC Future in 2018 that summarizes findings from various studies about people's behaviour in the face of imminent death:
[W]e cling harder to foundational cultural beliefs and strive to boost our sense of self-worth. [.] [Furthermore, we are] more contemptuous [of] and violent toward people who [are not similar to us]. [.] We also become more nihilistic, drinking, smoking, shopping and eating in excess - and we are less concerned about caring for the environment.5
But does this really apply to all the people? Would the knowledge of impending death only lead to such negative behaviour? On the contrary, it is often reported, especially by terminally ill people, that they become calm, make peace with many things, and accept their fate. Most people in this situation focus on the important things in life, create a bucket list with all the things they want to do before they die, and try to spend the remaining time with their loved ones.6
It seems clear that there is a difference if the end of life is 60 years away or only a few months. The closer the date, the greater the difference in people's behaviour. Many would do everything possible to avoid their death, while others may try to end their lives themselves in accordance with their values. But even those who have accepted their fate react differently. Some may still try to make the best of themselves and their lives, while others could be overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness and resignation and give up a healthy lifestyle. However, the majority of people would constantly change their behaviour between these extremes, especially as the day of death approaches.7
Relationships would also change dramatically if everyone knew their date of death. "Many people would probably prioritise finding a romantic partner whose death date was close to one's own".8 Most people intuitively want to spend many years together with their partner, grow old with them and, in the best case, die before them. People who know that they would not live long enough to see their children grow up or learn that they will die early would possible decide against having them.9
The short story "The Last Night of the World" by Ray Bradbury was published in 1951. It is about a dream that all adults seem to have had that the world would end on this specific night. After dinner, a couple sits together in their living room, drinking coffee and watching their two children play. The husband suddenly asks his wife: "What would you do if you knew that this was the last night of the world?"10 11 The wife reacts with surprise and immediately thinks of the destruction of the world by war. However, the husband disputes that and tells her about his dream that everything will just be over that night. He goes on by reporting about his day at work and his conversations with his co-worker, Stan Willis, and other people from the office. All of them seem to have had the same dream, but were rather relaxed about it and did not panic.
His wife then admits that she and other women from the neighbourhood had the identical dream. In their further conversation the couple ask themselves how the world will end and if and why today will be the last day of the world. They notice with surprise how calmly people react and wonder how everyone else is spending their last evening. After they discuss their feelings, possible fears, and what they will be missing, they go on with their daily evening routine by putting their two daughters to bed. They have not told their children about what will happen and they also seem to know nothing.
The couple spend the next few hours as usual and both are very peaceful when they go to bed. The woman even gets up once again to turn off the water in the sink, which she has left running. Finally, they wish each other a good night.
The short story takes place on the evening of 19 October 1969 in a family's living room. The setting is not described in detail, but Ray Bradbury's style of writing suggests a cosy and reassuring impression of their home, which conveys peace and security.
The two protagonists, an unnamed man and wife, are mainly described throughout their dialogues. Both are probably young adults, as they have two toddlers, and are flat characters because they remain stable during the course of the story. They are also presented without much individualizing detail, not even their names.
In their dialogues, the man presents himself as more knowledgeable while his wife mainly asks questions and simply accepts most of his answers. They talk respectfully to each other, and both speak openly about their feelings. For example, he says, "Sometimes it frightens me, sometimes I'm not frightened at all"11 and she mentions, "I always thought I would be [afraid], but I'm not."12 He also cares and worries about the woman, asking her, "Do you want to cry? " 13
The behaviour of the characters is surprising in this extreme situation. Both react rationally, calmly, and little emotionally, although they are sure that the world will end that night. They are probably aware that they cannot solve the problem and cannot prevent their inevitable death (antagonist)14, as the man says, "I've never been more certain"15 and later the woman replies, "Because there's nothing else to do."16 With this acceptance and the knowledge that "[t]his is logical"17, they do not panic. They rather continue their usual routines. It seems that they have no need to do anything special because they are satisfied with how they have lived and do not have any further expectations of life.12 It is curious that they do not care about anyone else. In this situation, it could be expected that relatives or friends would be contacted, but they just "wonder what everyone else will do now, this evening, for the next hours."13 They clearly focus just on themselves and have no other need than to spend their last evening together.
Another interesting aspect is the trust in their relationship. The man had the dream four days ago, yet he did not talk to his wife earlier. The woman pretends to be ignorant at the beginning of the conversation and only later admits that she also had the dream. Both "didn't say anything"14 to each other. It would normally be expected that a couple would talk about such an important occurrence. There is also a contradiction in their relationship with their daughters. The couple does not seem to want them close to them in their last hours. Perhaps the toddlers are too young to understand the situation and their parents do not want to scare them, but it seems that they leave them alone to their fate. In the story, both girls have no significance and are not recognised, which makes them stock background characters.
Stan Willis, the only named person and the husband's co-worker, is a flat intermediate character, who mainly exists to serve a particular purpose. He "unknowingly confirms the veracity of the man's dream. This moment is crucial, as it allows the man to begin to come to terms with the reality of the situation."15 Stan's behaviour is also important in this situation. "He didn't seem surprised. He relaxed, in fact."16 This possibly had an effect on the man's further behaviour. He also did not panic, but accepted the situation calmly.17
"The Last Night of the World" is set in October 1969, but was first published in 1951. In the story, however, Bradbury does not refer to the time in which it is set, but rather reflects the historical context, thinking, and way of life of the early 1950s.
This time was marked by the end of World War II, the United States' participation in the Korean War and the beginning of the Cold War, in which the US and USSR competed in developing nuclear and hydrogen bombs.18 "The woman's fear about atomic and hydrogen bombs in the story directly reflect the deep-rooted anxiety and very real threats [...] [of] this time period."19 The characters' calm behaviour shows that they seem to accept that the destruction that has been implied for years is now occurring. At the end of the story, the passage "We're all tired"26 could be an indication that they are exhausted and tired from all the years of war anxiety.
Furthermore, the couple's behaviour clearly reflects the role models of a family in the 1950s. The father made the majority of the decisions for his family and children were not integrated in any adult themes.27 In the conversation with the wife, the man is dominant, and the woman accepts most of his answers as correct because she trusts him and feels subordinate to him, as was common at this time, and his answers also seem to reassure her.
The story is chronologically told in simple colloquial language from the point of view of a third person omniscient narrator who stands outside the story but knows everything that needs to be known about the characters and events.
Bradbury creates an illusion of reality by effacing himself completely and letting the story tell itself. The main part of the story arises from the dialogue between the two protagonists and is presented in detail scenically (showing). It is only interrupted by a few simple plot descriptions. The atmosphere seems silent, so the readers only concentrate on the conversation. This transfers the calm and serenity of the protagonists to the readers, who can put themselves in the couple's situation and understand their feelings and behaviour. After the parents put the children to bed, the author describes the next three hours in summarized form (telling), for example with "[t]hey sat and read [...] as the clock struck ten-thirty and eleven and eleven-thirty"28, before switching back to the scenic presentation of their actions and dialogues in the last part of the story.
The story's opening rhetorical question, "What would you do if you knew that this was the last night of the world?"29 immediately arouses the interest of the readers and make them think about the mentioned scenario. To create pictures in the readers' minds, Bradbury uses a metaphor, comparing the end of the world with "the closing of a book."30 This way, he conveys to the readers that an "ominous and almost peaceful"31 ending is to be assumed and thus also justifies the calm behaviour of the characters. The author also uses symbols, such as many detailed descriptions of situations with coffee. This "stands out as another simple pleasure and a way for the couple to preserve their routine in the midst of a dire situation."32
[...]
1 Nuwer, R., What if we knew when and how we'd die?, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/ 20180618-what-if-we-knew-when-we-were- going-to-die, BBC.com 2018, Web. 27 Jun 2021.
2 Cf. Nuwer, R., 2018, Web. 27 Jun 2021.
3 Watson, E., University scientists create a calculator to predict your death date, https://www.devonlive.com/news/uk-world- news/university-scientists-create-calculator- predict-4482091, DevonLive.com 2020, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
4 Cf. Watson, E., 2020, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
5 Nuwer, R., 2018, Web. 27 Jun 2021.
6 Cf. Nuwer, R., 2018, Web. 27 Jun 2021.
7 Cf. Nuwer, R., 2018, Web. 27 Jun 2021.
8 Nuwer, R., 2018, Web. 27 Jun 2021.
9 Cf. Nuwer, R., 2018, Web. 27 Jun 2021.
10 Bradbury, R., The Illustrated Man, New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012, p. 136.
11 Bradbury, R., 2012, p. 136.
12 Ibid., p. 138.
13 Ibid., p. 140.
14 Weeks, R., 2018, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
15 Ibid., p. 137.
16 Ibid., p. 138.
17 Ibid.
18 Cf. Weeks, R., The Last Night of the World Study Guide, https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the- last-night-of-the-world, LitCharts LLC 2018, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
19 Bradbury, R., 2012, p. 139.
20 Ibid., p. 136.
21 Weeks, R., 2018, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
22 Bradbury, R., 2012, p. 137.
23 Cf. Weeks, R., 2018, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
24 Young, N./Young, W., The 1950s, Westport: Greenwood Press; 2004, p.12.
25 Weeks, R., 2018, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
26 Bradbury, R., 2012, p. 140.
27 Kaledin, Eugenia, Daily Life in the United States, 1940-1959 : shifting worlds, Westport: Greenwood Press, 2000, p. 99 and p. 110.
28 Bradbury, R., 2012, p. 140.
29 Ibid., p. 136.
30 Ibid.
31 Weeks, R., 2018, Web. 24 Jun 2021.
32 Ibid.
33 Bradbury, R., 2012, p. 139.
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