Friday 05 September 2008

Z for Zachariah

Setting

Story is set somewhere in NE Pennsylvania in a small valley. There are only a few buildings in the valley: a farm and farm house, a store with petrol pumps, and a church. There are two creeks; one creek is barren due to radiation poisoning. The valley is surrounded by woods, and there is a cave up one of the hills. There is also a pond with fish in it.
A year before the story begins, nuclear war has devistated the country. Nearly everyone is dead, but the valley was spared.

Characters

Ann Burden

The story is Ann's diary. As far as she knows, she is the only survivor of the nuclear war. Her family went looking for other survivors and never returned. For the past year, she has been running the farm and keeping herself alive. She is intelligent, independent, hopeful, resourceful, optimistic, and cautious.

John Loomis

Before the war, Loomis was a scientist working in a secret laboratory. In the lab, he made radiation-proof plastic and used it to produce the world's only radiation-proof suit, which he now has. He is the only person in the world who can survive radiation. He is not easily disturbed, even when he gets radiation poisoning from swimming in the barren creek. He is pleased with the valley, and has invited himself to stay. He has snapped at Ann, and shouts at a man named Edward in his dreams.

The story so far…

  • Ann sees the campfire of someone approaching the valley
  • it gets closer
  • a person in a radiation suit enters the valley
  • Ann hides evidence that she is there and hides in a cave
  • the man (Loomis) swims in the poisoned creek and gets sick
  • Ann goes to look after him
  • they move into the house together
  • making plans to rejuvinate the valley
  • Loomis has gotten extremely ill
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