54 pages • 1 hour read
Jeff HirschThe Eleventh Plague
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Literature
Literature is a motif that helps to develop the theme of Individualism Versus Community as Survival Strategies by embodying hope for the future and humanity’s ability to create beauty out of nothing. Books are extremely rare objects in the novel but are nevertheless worthless to many people; characters like Stephen’s grandfather view them as completely useless since they have no “practical” value for survival. However, Stephen, Jackson, Mr. Tuttle, and many others recognize that books have inherent value for what they represent: that life cannot just be about surviving from day to day. Many real-life books are named in the novel; Stephen’s prized possession is a copy of The Lord of the Rings, and he reads Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the Landing’s younger children. The prevalence of fantasy books like these helps to establish the symbolic importance of books—even if they have no “practical” value, they illustrate that humans can imagine other and perhaps better worlds for themselves. Literature therefore represents possibility. Characters who dislike literature have given in to despair and can only see the world for what it is, while characters who read and educate themselves believe in what people can become. Moreover, literature is a way to connect with others and understand their points of view. Reading widely encourages empathy; the characters who read the most, like Jackson and Mr. Tuttle, also express the most care for others. Therefore, the book suggests that literature’s inspirational value and reaffirmation of communal ties make it important for survival—if not as an individual, then as a society.
Fire
Fire is a symbol of violence and rebirth, supporting themes of both survival and Tradition Versus Toxic Nostalgia in American Culture. Since the characters exist in a postapocalyptic setting, fire is necessary for survival but also poses a severe danger; while it keeps people from freezing to death, it also destroys lives, homes, and possessions. Fire’s use as a symbol for the horrors of what people can do to one another therefore does not contradict its connection to moments of rebirth and change. Jenny’s barn burns down because of the community’s hatred, but it also symbolizes a fresh start for her, as she becomes closer to her family and Stephen afterward. Similarly, the Landing burns due to violence, but this enables its residents to recognize their flaws—in particular, how committed to harmful tradition they were, allowing them to start fresh and let go of the poisonous prejudice holding them back. The symbol of fire suggests that disaster and suffering can have positive outcomes and that recovery often requires a new beginning—from a barn burning down to a country collapsing. While these events are tragedies, and the lives and possessions lost have value and should be mourned, what happens after the fire is just as important.
Food
Food is a symbol of connection and survival, supporting the theme of individualism versus community. As a necessity for survival, food—and how people access, share, and enjoy it—is vital to a postapocalyptic novel. Food insecurity is a large theme, as characters like Stephen often do not have enough food; places that have enough food for a feast, like Settler’s Landing, are seen as impossible utopias. Community is often built around food, as with the Thanksgiving feast and the communal farming that takes place in the Landing. Similarly, characters often share food to show they care about one another. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the pleasure associated with good food evokes the possibility of a life that involves more than mere survival. For example, when Stephen and his father take canned fruit for personal consumption rather than trade, it is an unusual indulgence that symbolizes the human desire to lead a fulfilling life. Food therefore encompasses the range of things necessary to survive and thrive as a human being. People don’t just need food—they need community, support, and enjoyment, which are all things the novel associates with food. Stephen at first believes he simply needs food, but he eventually learns that he needs community and a home. This implies that even the most basic biological necessities are not really basic; rather, they are tied up in other needs, and cooperation is the only way to achieve them completely.
