ipl-logo

Nuclear Wasteland In Walter Van Tilburg Clark's The Portable Phonograph

415 Words2 Pages

As it lightly snows across a barren wasteland, some wonder if the snow is real this time and not just radioactive fallout. While a nuclear blast itself constraints mankind’s chance of survival, a nuclear winter will truly determine who survives in the end. In the short story “The Portable Phonograph” by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, this dreadful apocalypse becomes a reality. The story starts off with a vivid description of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Then the author gives insight into the struggle of living in a nuclear winter through the need of a musical interaction between four guys. After observing this harsh way of life, the question “What is a nuclear winter actually like?” emerges. In the article “How to Survive Nuclear Winter” by James …show more content…

However, people have suggested many ideas for possible the outcomes. The first aspect of nuclear winter is the barren wasteland that surrounds the radius of the initial impact. “The Portable Phonograph” paints this wasteland perfectly through the vivid description that was provided. For instance, when describing the craters in the ground, the author wrote, “These pits were such as might have been made by falling meteors… They were the scars of gigantic bombs, their rawness already made a little natural by rain, seed, and time” (Clark, 1941, p. 177). After knowing the sheer power behind nuclear weapons, there is no doubt that the Earth would be quite desolate in a nuclear winter. In addition to the geographical changes, the next aspect of nuclear winter is the rather cold climate that is formed. This means no more tropical climates around the world - everlasting the radioactive fallout in the form of snow. According to the article “How to Survive Nuclear Winter”, it is estimated that “if [nuclear winter] were to happen in July, there would be a 22 degree C drop in mid-latitudes and 10 degree drop in more humid areas” (Roberts, 2007, p. 1). These estimates alone prove that nuclear winter could be very

Show More
Related

Summary Of Will Baker's Grace Period

63 Words | 1 Pages

What will the end of the world look like? Many people have wondered throughout the ages. Will Baker’s “Grace Period” depicts the protagonist going about his day, when the unexpected happens. The article, “Nuclear Weapons Effects” explains the stages and impact of nuclear explosions. The protagonist is the story is experiencing a nuclear explosion and he and his wife are unlikely to

Read More

Analysis Of Dystopian Society: The Testing By Joelle Charbonneau

749 Words | 3 Pages

“Wind whistles through the abandoned roads” ( Charbonneau, 149). This quote, by usage of powerful language says that after a nuclear war there is almost nothing left, homes and cities are abandoned and the world is almost empty. This makes the readers think that there will be nothing left, technology will go back a few decades and great people killed. Joelle Charbonneau throughout her entire book raises awareness about how dangerous nuclear fission is when used as a

Read More

By The Bomb's Early Light Chapter Summary

1449 Words | 6 Pages

Paul Boyer, the author of By the Bomb’s Early Light, has an unusually high level of expertise on the subject of atomic bombs. He is an American biochemist, analytical chemist, and a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is at the top of his field, and is a perfect candidate to write this book. Not only will he be an expert in the science of atomic bombs, but he will know the history of this kind of technology. Paul Boyer’s main idea in this book is more of a discussion of Nuclear Policy and a look back at the nuclear age.

Read More

Essay On Fahrenheit 45

1821 Words | 8 Pages

“Nam qui dabat olim / imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se / continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses” - Juvenal Smoke rose from citizens’ homes and workplaces, wisps of darkness floating higher and higher in the sky like the souls of the dead, signals to spread the destruction that had occurred only a few days ago. Bloodied bodies, dead and alive, lay there too. In their inaction - the anticipation that followed shock - they seemed to be spectators, stunned after a cacophony of destruction, played by an orchestra controlled by some far away conductor. Yet they themselves seemed to play music, mindless buzzing as their not-so-empty heads attempted to filter their surroundings and figure out what had happened to

Read More

Richard A. Muller's Nuclear Waste

286 Words | 2 Pages

In “Nuclear Waste” by Richard A. Muller, he expresses his concerns about radioactive material in Yucca Mountain that will be left behind for thousands of years and the unfamiliar dangers that we face. He starts by stating that nuclear waste is one of the biggest issues that our government faces even though they highly follow their “safe” nuclear waste disposal. He stresses how the government prototype nuclear waste facility at Yucca Mountain is supposed to be so safe, but they built it on a site that was created by volcanic activity. Scientist have contemplated many different ways to dispose of nuclear waste, but they all seem like the worse than their previous ideas and some still are considering more nuclear power. After his intense evaluation

Read More

The American Dream In Ray Bradbury's August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rain

1113 Words | 5 Pages

Joseph Rotblat, 1995 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, stated, “I have to bring to your notice a terrifying reality: with the development of nuclear weapons Man has acquired, for the first time in history, the technical means to destroy the whole of civilization in a single act” (“Joseph”). Nearly fifty years before Rotblat’s warning, the world witnessed devastation when the United States dropped the first atomic bombs on Japan during World War II. Over 200,000 people perished. Just five years after these tragic days in history, Ray Bradbury, one of the most inspiring artists of the twentieth century, conveys a view similar to Rotblat in his short story, “August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains” (“Ray”).Throughout this story, Bradbury dramatizes the American Dream as an American Nightmare resulting from

Read More

The Children's Blizzard Analysis

1631 Words | 7 Pages

David Laskin’s The Children’s Blizzard explains the devastating force of an intense blizzard, which caught several people unprepared, and it tells the tragic stories of these people. On January 12, 1888 a massive blizzard struck the center of North America, killing between 250 to 500 people and affecting thousands. There were many factors that made this blizzard exceptionally deadly. Many farmers and children who were outside were unprepared to deal with any cold conditions, “a day when children had raced to school with no coats or gloves and farmers were far from home doing chores they had put off during the long siege of cold” (Laskin 2).

Read More

Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Fission

1640 Words | 7 Pages

At least 5 million people were sick or disabled, and 985,000 were left dead. Even today, 4.5 million people have their houses on affected land, and are eating food that has been poisoned by this incident. The damage that nuclear power can do is off the charts, and although it doesn’t pollute the air like fossil fuels do, it can wreak havoc. Right now, 4.5 million people are sitting on radiation, smelling radiation, eating radiation, and living on radiation. Nuclear fission is what caused all the destruction.

Read More

Argumentative Essay-Nuclear Energy Is Australia's Future

607 Words | 3 Pages

Nuclear power produces fewer carbon emissions than traditional energy sources because energy is not produced by burning molecules but splitting atoms. ‘An energy mix including nuclear power has the lowest impact on wildlife and Ecosystems’ as shown by a Conservation Biology paper. Consequently, greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by nearly half which shows the benefits and popularity of nuclear power use. Nuclear power has many environmental benefits such as small waste production, leaves no adverse effect on water, land or any habitats. By reducing fossil fuel consumption and switching to Nuclear Energy, we will sustain the environment, quality of air, improving the overall quality of

Read More

Slaughterhouse Five Research Paper

1282 Words | 6 Pages

More recently developed nuclear weapons prove to not only be more violent than those used during the Dresden attack, but to also be more physically and psychologically destructive. Along with the initial effects of the weapon, which destroys both people and property, deadly radiation from the bomb causes lasting health issues for the survivors, such as leukemia and radiation poisoning (Schull). Furthermore, the evacuation and relocation of those who lost homes and jobs in the area of attack would not only be expensive, but would also have significant negative social repercussions - both of the loss of productivity of the workforce during this time, as well as on the mental health of those forced to abandon their homes and

Read More

There Will Come Soft Rains Technology Essay

466 Words | 2 Pages

At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles” (Bradbury 10). In the quote, it explains the disappearances of the people and the destruction in most houses from the nuclear bomb that occurred in that place. In essence, machinery humans use is a destructive force that left a radioactive glow because it was the nuclear bomb that destroyed many buildings and innocent people which connects to the people who let the bomb loose and didn’t care to save lives, but to destroy it to save themselves. By the same token, the story also

Read More

Walter Van Tilburg Clark's The Portable Phonograph

427 Words | 2 Pages

Walter Van Tilburg Clark’s “The Portable Phonograph” analyses how easily peace can be disrupted by greed. In the blink of an eye, peace can turn into destruction, war and chaos. It can all change because of one person's resistance to share with others. Everyone is greedy in some way, but some are more than others. It is in our blood to be greedy, we are wired to try to be better than one another and it is hard to resist.

Read More

Persuasive Essay On Nuclear Energy

3678 Words | 15 Pages

Nuclear energy may be the solution that eliminates our concern for energy production in the future, but it still remains a huge issue for the environment. Despite its wide use in many developed countries, nuclear energy poses many threats to both the

Read More

Nuclear Energy Thesis

1617 Words | 7 Pages

Every time we plug a device into a powerpoint usually we do not think about where does that electricity comes from. I used this example to demonstrate that nuclear energy is something everybody should care about because, even if we don't want to, it belongs to our reality and not thinking about an issue will not solve it. Nuclear energy in itself it is not an issue but the consequences of an accident will affect seriously our lives so, since prevention is better than cure, it is better to solve possible issues by limiting the factors that can made them happen. The main objective of this thesis is to make people aware about the nuclear issues in a more detailed

Read More

The Sound Of Music Analysis

1458 Words | 6 Pages

Introduction Roger’s and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is arguably one of the most well known films that many can admit to watching at least once in their lifetime. People all around the world have found this musical inspiring, as it documents growth and hope amidst the horrors of World War II. This incredibly well written film is based on the story of the Von Trapp family who escaped Austria when the Nazis invaded it during the war. Part of what made this movie so interesting on so many different accounts was the music that accompanied the vivid and exciting scenes. Without music, many could agree that our world would be a sad, quiet, dull and depressing place.

Read More

More about Nuclear Wasteland In Walter Van Tilburg Clark's The Portable Phonograph

Related Topics

Open Document