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Blog PostReflection on the concept of ‘the end of the world’
From medieval literature to Anglo-Saxon, ‘the end of the world’ is an
apparent theme which is central to texts throughout these periods, in
conveying how crises are apparent throughout history and to date, and
how these are both detrimental but also benefiting to human kind. The
concept of the ‘end of the world’ can be taken literally, in the sense that
human kind ceases to exist, and metaphorically as a life lesson to
humankind, that if we do not act/change our ways of life, then the ‘end of
the world’ will occur. Personally, I could understand this happening
through events such as natural disasters, or an extreme global climate
crisis. On the other hand, as we see in biblical literature, like Noah’s Ark,
it can be in the form of a natural disaster, such as a flood, yet it is
constructed in a way that is also creative, more metaphorical, and
sometimes more difficult to comprehend. Moreover, within Reflections,
the idea of an Apocalypse is explored; which conveys a sense of a more
theatrical ‘end of the world’. Then in comparison, within Good Omens the
‘end of the world’ is seen as more comedic. This idea is also apparent
with science-fiction and dystopian literature, offering life lessons, and
reinforcing this idea of a warning, that if humankind doesn’t change their
ways, then an essential crisis will inevitably arise.
The concept of ‘the end of the world’ is a vast and vague concept,
one that is very open to interpretation. So personally, I have always
believed the end of world won’t be like that of Maldon, where war is
destructive, or that of Noah’s Ark, where there is a sense of hierarchy as
to who and what survives, but more a mixture of the two. However, I
believe that ‘the end of the world’ in the western world, would involve a
much more political centre. In my opinion, there will be war, and there
will remain a hierarchy, but I would like to think these would be to a
lesser extent than in the texts previously mentioned, and that they would
most likely have risen from a political origin, reflecting a more light-
hearted end to the world, like seen in Good Omens. It will be apparent in
all literature, but not a single text as I believe the concept of the ‘end of
the world’ spans across several theories and occurrences, seen in
different styles of literature. This can be seen in Good Omens through the
use of humour, where the ‘end of the world’ is taken far less seriously,
than that in the other texts I have mentioned.
Therefore, ‘the end of the world’ acts almost as an open question; it is
something out of our control and remains unknown. We don’t know how
or if the world will end, we can simply only theorise. This is why in
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