A Canticle For Leibowitz Analysis

The second part of A Canticle for Leibowitz, Let there be Light. The novel does not pick up where it ended with brother francis death among the buzzards, but it’s apparent to the reader that the setting remains the same, only many years later. Thon Taddeo visits the abbey to study the memorabilia found in the fallout by Brother Francis, a main character of the first section if the novel. It’s apparent the second part is taking place in the same abby as the first section of the novel. The characters are primarily different, but the writing style and description keeps within the same emotion of the first section; There is a secretive, conceiving mood towards the abby, and Hannegan, one of the main characters is extremely ruthless and eager
to gain power. The way the novel lapses over centuries but remains the same in setting and character is a very interesting concept I have not seen done before. It’s like the novel is made up of three separate stories that all revolve around the same world as a continuation. Although part one and two resemble nothing similar in the ways of character or story, the ending of each piece is the same. Both parts of the novel end in death, with the visualization of buzzards. “The Buzzards strutted, preened and quarreled over diner; it was not yet properly cured. As Always the wild black scavengers of the skies laid their eggs in the season and lovingly fed their young.”(238)
The ending of both parts resembling one another helps to tie then entire novel together as one piece of literature.