After The Siren

After the Sirens
Presented By: Leo, Robert and Cholo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hugh Hood was born on April 30, 1928 in Toronto, Ontario and died on August 1, 2000. He was a Canadian novelist, short story writer, essayist and university professor and was considered as one of Canada’s leading short story writer. He lived in Quebec his whole life. Most of his stories portray a vivid contemporary life in Canada’s largest city. Hood contributed 32 great books.

SUMMARY: The story tells about a man, his wife and their baby surviving a nuclear war. From a goodnight sleep, the man and his wife were woken from the loud sound of the sirens. Wondering what was the siren about; they tuned in the radio and discovered from the announcer that there will be an air raid happening in fifteen minutes and is warning them to take cover. The man asked his wife to put on many layers of clothes to her and their baby while he gathers for some food and water for supplies. After the man gathers the supplies and put on some clothes, he brought his family down to the cellar, took cover, waited for the explosion to come, and hopes they survive that. Then finally the bomb has been dropped. No words can explain the destructive power of the bomb. Indeed, it is louder than deafening but the baby slept through it. They crawled out of the cellar, got rescued by soldiers and learned that they were the 7th, 8th and 9th person to be rescued.

PLOT:
SETTINGS:
The setting for the story is more like of general knowing that the characters were inside their peaceful residence preparing for the bomb to be drop. And it happened more likely during the time of war.

RISING ACTION: They discovered from the radio announcer that there will be an air raid in the next 15 minutes
CLIMAX:
The bomb has been drop
CONCLUSION:
They survived the devastating explosion and learned from the soldiers they were one of the only few people who survived.
CONFLICT:
Man vs. Society: the family must survive the nuclear war Man vs. Himself: the man keeps himself calm while instructing his wife what to do despite knowing the fact that a nuclear bomb will blast them.

IRONY:
The family waked up and thought it can’t be anything. However it was a nuclear war.
They survive the war without serious physical injuries and the baby slept through it.
Knowing how terrible the happening is, no one won the war. SYMBOLYSM: The baby- represents the innocent youth. Their eyes are shut and have no idea of the ugly truth during the time of war. The baby also signifies that even through the hardest times, there is a hope that will keep us going and it must be kept alive. The bomb - symbolizes the chaos happening during the times of war. A single instrument that is capable of killing many people. No names for the characters and place - the author sends a message that this could happen to anyone in any place.
EMOTION:
Panic and Fear - “We will be attacked in fifteen minutes. This is not an exercise!”

POINT OF VIEW:
Objective Third person point of view

CHARACTERS: The man – flat and static. He is a leader throughout the story The wife – flat and static. Dependent to his husband The baby – static. Just sleeping The soldiers and the radio announcer– stock

THEME: War does no good; killing many innocent lives in one wrong decision