Alas, Babylon essays

Alas, Babylon essays The women in this novel have important roles. Most of the time the women are shown as the caregivers who watch over the children. There are many examples of this in this novel. Helen Bragg is the wife of Mark Bragg. She is very important in this novel because she shows a real motherly and caregiver role. In chapter four, Helen and her two kids, Ben Franklin and Peyton, are leaving to go stay with Randy. Mark has to stay behind in Omaha in a military place called The Hole. Mark says to Helen, Your job is to survive because if you dont the children wont survive. That is your job. There is no other (66). Mark states her role here. She needs to survive in order to take care of the children so they will survive too. While Helen and the children are staying in Randys house, she tries to keep things as normal as possible after the nuclear attacks. She tells Ben to wash his hands before they eat dinner. This also shows that she is in a caregiver role. Another woman with a caregiver role in this novel is Lib McGovern. When Helen has a fantasy about Randy being Mark, she kisses him and this freaks out Randy. He talks to Lib for help. She tells him that she wanted to major in psychology and that Helen was having a fantasy. Randy says, Youre talking like a professional, Lib (223). Her role is to help Randy with his problems. Another time when Lib has an important role in this story is when she goes over to Admiral Sam Hazzards house with Randy. Admiral and Randy are discussing what to do about the highwaymen that attacked Dan and stole his things and the only good car that they had. Lib is sitting there with those two men when she finally has to make a suggestion. She says that the best way to get the highwaymens attention is to ask Rita for her grocery truck and gasoline. The Admiral all this time treats her like a mess girl. After Lib sugges ...