An Apocalyptic tale content in haunting the reader with a mix of Horror, Realism and simple Melodrama.
"And we danced, on the brink of an unknown future, to an echo from a vanished past".
If you were to read a brief synopsis of this novel, or if i were to casually tell you the premise of the plot, i would not be surprised to hear you laugh at the prospect of envisioning large, lumbering plants, serve to be the demise of humanity; and to an extent i would agree. Vegetation simply does not serve to be a source of terror in the same way the living dead or towering lizards (Godzilla) do. Yet, Wyndham's choice of monster is undoubtedly more relatable than the supernatural protagonists of classic horror stories: we already have carnivorous plants, Dionaea muscipula, or the Venus Flytrap. We do not, however, have evidence of extra-terrestrial life, lycanthropes or vampires to suggest that any of these are going to come into existence any time soon. So, maybe Wyndham's 'Triffids' aren't that ludicrous. Written after the cold war, the idea of a 'man-made apocalypse' was ripe in the original readerships mind; with the invention of nuclear weapons World War III seemed to be on the horizon. In light of this, plants becoming enhanced by man-made hormonal supplements, and turning into man-eating-machines becomes all the more relatable. I'm not insinuating that you or I would consider a Triffid for our next Halloween costume, plants are not immediately intimidating, yet as the novel progresses these things manifest into a terrifying prospect.
The novel Builds on the premise of a meteor shower, causing any individual un(lucky) enough to witness it to wake up the next morning blinded; which, thanks to the input of media broadcasts- is near enough the entire population. Only a select few have survived thanks to freak occurrences: being locked in a basement, hung over, in hospital etc etc. Our protagonist, Bill, wakes in a hospital the next morning surrounded by an eerie silence. After a short while character builds enough confidence to explore the hospital, here Wyndham utilises his gift for the 'horror' form- exposing the many deaths resulting from the hospital's population waking blind. We become subjected to both horrific accidents,
equally horrific suffering and deeply unsettling acts of suicide, significantly
by a ‘doctor’, whom acting as the symbol of hope and recovery, instead chooses
to launch himself out of his office window.
As the novel progresses, we can’t help but
appreciate our gift of sight; simply put: Wyndham makes it clear that without
sight, we are predominantly useless. (Excusing those who have adjusted to being
sightless) It is clear that our advantage over nature, and other predatory
animals, is held in our ability to build, adapt and survive. Yet, without
sight, it soon becomes clear that the contraptions, which previously aided our
survival, become useless. Furthermore, our loss
of sight means that we cannot even attempt to build devices to aid our
sightlessness. What the Triffids have, which we do not, is an instinct to survive without sight- while their instinct is basic, within a blind world they have a distinct advantage.
Although the novel's title insinuates the plot to resolve around the Triffids, I would see it rather as a portrait of humanity in the wake of disaster; a note to appreciate the world we are in, as it could all be gone in a day. Like every apocalyptic tale, attempts to rebuild society begin instantaneously, yet the same sense of primal aggression, survival of the fittest, soon snuffs each out. We live in a society that takes advantage of simple methods of survival, food sources, shelter etc. etc. When we are left in ruins it is soon clear that the modern world has forgotten how to, simply, survive.
I enjoyed this novel.
No comments:
Post a Comment