The Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. is a post-apocalyptic novel that depicts 3 short stories taking place over a span of thousands of years in the United States. The novel illustrates the rebuilding of civilization in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Within the novel, the Church is portrayed as the most “powerful” governing body in society, however, there are those outside of the Church that still exist and rule themselves. Among those outside the Church includes Mad Bear, a chieftain who rules over a clan of warriors and provides protection for Thon Taddeo’s journey to the Abbey of St. Leibowitz. Mad Bear emphasizes how power in society is organized in order to expose the relations between those within the Church and those outside the Church.
When compared to the educated monks, Mad Bear seems like a barbarian. However, he is described as a man who is a “merciful chieftain” that “never mistreated a horse,” yet is brave and violent when needed (158). These descriptions portray Mad Bear as man who would be quite beneficial as an ally rather than foe. He is uneducated and uncivilized, yet commands
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The two biggest differing societies, the monks and the Church and the warriors and Mad Bear, both have their advantages and disadvantages, but are both wrong in their belief of their power over the other. They think they have more power than they actually have, so they try to manipulate each other to get what they want. Mad Bear is a representation of how those not in the Church interact with those in the Church. To the warriors, reputation and strength are more important, while to the monks knowledge and intelligence are more important. Mad Bear allows for this comparison to be made and provides an example of how the society is structured outside of the Church, while also showcasing the interactions between the two differing