Alas Babylon Character Analysis

Occasionally people do not think the unexpected could happen. Life can change people in many ways. These changes can be small or big. In the novel, Alas Babylon, Pat Frank shows how people can change at the same time their society changes. He demonstrates how change affects people using the characters, Randy Bragg, Helen Bragg, and Elizabeth McGovern.
In the beginning of the novel, Randy is introduces as a guy with no responsibilities. He does not work and lives alone with his dog Graf. Randy would sit around and drink bourbon every morning because he did not have to worry about getting important tasks done (8). After “the day”, Randy had to be smarter and find ways for himself and everyone around him to survive. When the town’s water became contaminated, he connected water pipes to all the neighbors’ homes (151). He also noticed his neighbor’s live stocks and crops were missing day by day. No one knew whether they were getting stolen or eaten by wild animals. This problem made Randy start a night guard watch. He set up a schedule for Ben Franklin, Bill McGovern, and himself to switch in
Helen and her husband, Mark Bragg, had to move from Omaha to Fort Repose because that is where the Russians were going to throw their first nuclear bombing. Although Helen’s life, along with her children, was in danger, she refuses to leave. She responds to Mark saying, “That still doesn’t matter, my place is here with you” (65). Helen only knew what it was like to be a house wife, but after “the day”, she learns a lot of new things. She became the barber of everyone in the house (221). In addition to cutting hair, Helen also studies hypnotism with Dan, the town’s doctor. She helped him with hypnosis because there was very little to no medicines available to numb his patients without amnesia (287). By these examples, Helen realizes she is more capable of doing other things rather than just cooking and