Brother in the Land | analytical questions

 Q:  Explain the Shadow Man's speech in Act 2, scene 10.

      
    "Panging hunger and aching hearts measure these long and                                            desolate hours.
                      A cold and desolate destination.
          Unknown. Uncertain. This dry and hardened heart,
                      Starved of love, starved of hope.

                        In search of consolation. "

   Ans: Life before the nuclear attack was quite consolidated and comfortable. No one had any problem towards their life as they knew that they had their mist beloved ones right next to their heart, right next to them in all situations. Everyone's heart was filled with love, laughter and hope. But things suddenly changed when the bomb was dropped. 
No one knew their identity, just like stranded souls who didn't know their destination. The whole destructed world was a live feeling of how the people felt at heart-broken, shattered, hurt and hopeless. When you have no warmth of love and hope, you simply do not know what to do, you are simply lost in the tornado of insecurity, hopelessness and isolation. Losing your beloved ones is just like becoming a terminal who had lost his sense of hope and love-this lost feeling was overcome by desolation and terror. The shadow man also says that the world is a place of selfish people who would not even let you breathe if they had control over your lives. 
There is no humanity and everywhere people behave inhumanly in harsh times. People feel so overburdened and insecure after their beloved ones die that they count their hours, they just want to die. They count their days, they count their long, lonely hours. Through his speech the Shadow Man says that man is reduced to a shadow of himself and humanity. 
Danny is so desperate for a support for himself and his brother and he is totally overburdened at a really young age.

  Q: Write a short note on Danny's transition from a hopeful person to a hopeless and hardened person.

  Ans: Danny used to be a really nice and hopeful person before as well as after the nuclear attack as he had the support of his family. Danny's father had been preparing for the nuclear attack before the nuclear war and the nuclear war didn't affect their family much only their grief over their mother. Danny still didn't lose hope Because he had his brother and father who were his hope of laughter and love. He felt the warmth and hope his father provided him. Danny also had belief in the government that the British Government would provide them with protection and welfare, but to Danny's disbelief, he could barely managed to digest the fact that the Government could kill and murder its innocent citizens who were injured and no use them, instead they were murdered and poisoned because they were just a burden on their shoulder. 

Danny got exposed to the adult world and started to come out of his shell of childhood innocence. But after the death of Danny's father, the hopeful, loving and carefree Danny transmitted to a hopeless and hard-hearted person. Those circumstances in which he had to take care of his brother made him responsible for all situations. 

Danny had to learn the art of survival and that could only be learnt if Danny didn't trust anyone who claimed to protect him. Even after Danny saw so much bloodshed, he had to protect and survive in the tough circumstances by making himself tough as well.

   Q: What is the significance behind Danny's dream. What does this reveal about Danny as a person?
   
   Ans: During the nuclear war, everyone was facing misery and desolation. Children got separated from their parents and some even lost them forever. Similarly, Danny had witnessed his mother and father's death and was simply horrified and disgusted by the cruelty of the world. Danny found his parents his beacon of hope for his survival but when they got lost, he still misses them and they are still alive in his heart. As 'hopeful' is a word that defines his character, he still hopes for the circumstances to get better in the future. Danny missed his parents as they were his hope , when 

Danny dreams them in his dream, he again starts to hope for the best. 'peace breaks out' , this was what Danny hoped for. In his childhood innocence he finds war completely useless; he wants the people to reunite and live a peaceful and happy life with their families. Instead of fight and spreading bloodshed and terror, he want to reunite and relive the past. Danny wanted to rewind the past and wanted to bring back the good old days he had spent with his family.

  Q: Compare and contrast the standard of living of Danny versus military style of living back at Kershaws farm.
  Ans:  The Governments duty was to protects its citizens and provide them with medication and food, however they were not fulfilling these duties. They killed and got rid of all the injured people so they would not have to waste their medication and food on them when they could save up the food for themselves. when all the survivors were starving to death and dying with hunger, the military officers were having a party on the food of the citizens. In order to arm Skipley against these dictatorial forces, the citizens made a society known as MASADA to fight against the military forces and give the food to the righteous and deserving people. MASADA worked to arm the citizens of Skipley against the ulterior motives of the military officers back at Kershaw's farm

Brother in the Land

Activity 1

Select 6-7 people from the list to start a new society following a nuclear war. Later give reasons for your choice too.

    Nancy Taylor------------------nurse
 Alison Thomas----------------School Teacher
    Hendry Jackson---------------Welder
  Gray Lloyd----------------------Builder
   Paul Richard----------------soldier
  Steven Graham----------------Carpenter
      Amanda----------------Surgeon
         Andrew Smith---------------------Accountant
              Mark Watson--------solicitor
              Angela Simon-----------------Nanny
              Samantha Elkins------------shop assistant
              Sally Dalto------------------banker
              Brenda Smith-------------model
              John Smith-----------car mechanic
              Kevin--------------------painter and decorator
              Sophie Hills----------Scientist

During the nuclear war, Skipley turned into a live example of hatred and jealousy a man possesses for each other. The whole world seemed to be decorated with destruction, pain, misery and dead bodies. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’. The survivors of the nuclear attack chose me to become their next mayor. I was in charge to reconstruct Skipley and bring back its life and beauty, just the way it used to be before. I selected seven of the survivors for the main work. Nancy taylor as nurse, Alison Thomas, to educate the children and Hendry Jackson and gray Lloyd to find the useful material from the destruction and rubble and to construct and weld homes for the remaining citizens. Paul Richard (soldier) would educate the children about survival tactics. Amanda the surgeon would treat the injured and lastly Steven Graham would finish off with the wood work.

Nancy Taylor and Amanda: Nancy Taylor and Amanda would together help the citizens and cure them of different diseases. They can also help to recover the spacers who have totally lost their minds. Nancy Taylor would nurse the patients while Amanda will find solutions and remedies to treat them.

Alison Thomas: Alison Thomas would educate the children about nuclear wars and help them with their studies. Furthermore, she would also take care of younger children who have lost their parents with the help of the nanny, Angela Simon.

Hendry Jackson and gray Lloyd: these both will work together to reconstruct the buildings of Skipley. They would excavate wood and other materials to construct new homes and buildings.

Paul Richard: he would equip the children with survival tactics and fighting techniques.

Activity 2

Select any 10 items that you have come across after the blast. Justify your selection and write about the virtue of each item.

After the nuclear war there is hardly anything that s in good condition however I still hopefully searched for useful things in the debris and destruction of the world.

1) Large garbage bags

Now, nuclear war is a state where everyone has to survive without caring about what they use. Large garbage bags are very useful to carry things.  So now I have the basic equipment to carry the rest of the things that I come across during my search.

2) A radio

A radio is a must so in order to stay informed about the upcoming events and safety precautions and extra radio is essential after nuclear war attack to stay updated.

3) A gun

I am very lucky that I found a gun with bullets in it. This must be a gun of a soldier either died or ran away during the war. I would give to away to my parents so they can use it in hard time when we are attacked.

4) Cactus

In school I have learnt the method of extracting water and minerals from cactus plants. A really big cactus is growing in the corner. I used a piece of bark to cut it and carefully extract the water.

5) Water bottles

I have found some water bottles of beverages and petrol. I would store all the water in these water bottles that I have extracted out of these bottles.

6) Match sticks

Now basically I don’t know how to light a fire with the help of stones but luckily I have found two boxes of match sticks and now we would be able to warm the water for bathing and to cook the pea soup. Now I have learnt that fire and water are the basic necessities of living.

7) My younger brother’s lost teddy bear

I am very elated to find my brother’s teddy bear which he had been crying for. Just because of this war I cannot let him destroy his inner peace and childhood innocence.

8) Large palm leaves

Large palm leaves take a very long time to die away so these palms can be used to provide urgent shelter.

9) A pile of clothes

I have found a pile of worn out clothes that are torn and ragged and in a very bad condition. But in case there is another attack, we would at least be able to change our clothes in case we come in contact with the radioactive waves.

10) Torch

In the dark, the torch can help us find the path easily. In case the soldiers come and take away all our belongings, at least then we will be able to run away unnoticed.