The Last Night of the World
The central theme in the article is the acceptance of death. All characters in the play acknowledge that the world is coming to an end and choose to accept it. However, the reason for the worldwide death is unclear. That is why the story is in the form of a modem-day fable. The fascinating part of the theme is that the couple decides to spend their last night just like they would spend any other night. It is clear that the world is ending in the next 24 hours, but no one bothered to do anything in the few remaining hours (Bradbury, Ray 2). The couple finds comfort in a regular routine. It is a notable choice to deviate from the daily routine of living, but it also indicates the reason why death is coming. Death is occurring because of too much routine that leads to a lifestyle that leaves a person “dead inside.” This is a mechanized life of rigid fixed schedules and expectations. The neutrality also has political consequences that albeit other nations commit evil dongs, and this is another reason for the world to come to an end. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The setting of the story is a home in the United States. The whereabouts and details of the home are not adequately described. However, the date that the said last night of the world happened has been indicated as October 19, 1969 (Bradbury, Ray 3).
The conflict in the short story is demonstrated by the opposing force caused by the inevitable death coming. The husband tells the wife that the world is coming to an end and does not panic. He accepts that there is death on his planet and that it is inevitable. He is intrepid since, in the midst of the dilemma, he is not frightened. The wife does not panic upon being informed about the end of the world but remains calm and collected on her last moments. The unnamed daughters, however, are clueless about everything that is doomed to happen, and they are said to be laughing (Bradbury, Ray 4).
References
Bradbury, Ray. “The last night of the world.” The illustrated man. New York, NY: Doubleday (1951).