Alas, Babylon Theme of Community

Like all good post-apocalyptic stories, Alas, Babylon focuses not just on the world-ending disaster that causes the whole kerfuffle, but on the efforts of survivors to rebuild in its aftermath.

Our story centers on Fort Repose, a tiny town in Central Florida, where a former soldier named Randy Bragg leads a community of his neighbors in the shadow of the nuclear holocaust. Although this community is born out of necessity, it survives thanks to the tight bonds between its members, which are familial, neighborly, or even romantic. Sizzle.

Ultimately, the power of this newly formed community shines a small ray of hope through a largely dark and dismal scene.

Questions About Community

  1. Why does Randy become the leader of his community? Is it fair of him to do so?
  2. What is the significance of the people Randy chooses to join his community?
  3. Does Randy exploit the Henrys? Explain your answer.
  4. Why is Fort Repose so successful relative to other communities? Explain.

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Randy is a natural fit to be the leader of his community in Fort Repose because he has extensive military experience.

It's unfair of Randy to forcibly take control of the community without consulting everyone else first.