Consequences

In the last chapters of the book you began to notice the long-term consequences of the war and the nature of it. This war is entirely different from any other conflict faced by any civilization. The psycological damage was too big, the lack of resourses was even worse, but more important, the enemy was completely different. Zombies did not need any rest, they do not give up, they not even had a strategy. At first, the ignorance helped to keep control over the population, but it did not last long. The ignorance killed millions of people because the population were not able to understand the desease, and either the enemy. 

In addition, the consequences of the choices taken by specific persons lead in problems or solutions with an enourmous scale. Millions of people depend on the creativity of the governments to create strategies to regain territory, but this people are not excluded. A high percent of the population had militar duties because the war demanded a lot of people. 

I think that, as I said before, the best tool to defeat is the preocupation for the others and also the information given to everyone. Also, it is important to take into account the general mood of the population because it is difficult to conquer something without a positive attitude, and, in this case, the achievement was life.

This are some quotes that support what I am saying:

"Ignorance was the enemy. Lies and superstition, misinformation, disinformation. Sometimes not information at all. Ignorance killed billions of people..."

"The living dead had taken more from us than land and loved ones..."

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"

Vocabulary: 

Pag. 266

Clamped: To fasten, grip, or support with or as if with a clamp.

Pag. 306

Counteracts: To oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary action; check.

Pag. 311

Doomed: Inevitable destruction or ruin.

Pag. 320

Ghoul: One who delights in the revolting, morbid, or loathsome.

Pag. 371

Hunk: A large piece; a chunk.

Home Front USA

This part of the book describes clearly the reaction of the government to the difficult situation. There are several measures that changed the way of living of all the society. Some of them involved the learning of many skills for basic activities that not everybody accepted very well. Activities related with art no longer had importance, the objective was surviving. As a result, many persons were not very happy and they even seemed to be rude, but if they wanted to survive they needed to adapt to all this changes. I specially liked a part in which a member of the airforce describes how many doctors were willing to risk their lives in order to save other people, or to teach certain skills essential for surviving. I like this part of humanity in the middle of the problem, the part that makes us very different from another creature. You could learn from this part that we depend entirely from other people, and other people from us, if we do not help each other, then who?


This are some quotes from the parts I am talking about:

"I have a lot of respect for those guys. Most of them knew it was for the duration; a lot of the Blue Zones did not have airstrips, so they had to parachute in without any hope of pick up."

"Helping people to help themselves is great in theory, but you still gotta keep them alive..."


Also I will leave some vocabulary in case you do not understand some words:

Pag. 188

Burden: A responsibility or duty

Pag. 197

Quislings: A traitor who serves as the puppet of the enemy occupying his or her country.

Pag. 218

Trudging: To walk in a laborious, heavy-footed way; plod.

Pag. 219

Halted: A suspension of movement or progress, especially a temporary one.

Pag. 221

Tattered: Worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing.