Monuments 14 Analysis

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne elucidates the obstacles and drama of living in a post-apocalyptic reality pertaining to fourteen kids living in a mall with no adult guidance. A feeling of uncertainty envelops the group as two older men are invited into the store. At first peaceful and friendly, the two men lead to problems causing Brayden to get shot. Afterward, Jake exits the store to get medicine for Brayden by performing a reconnaissance mission ultimately resulting in the group discovering that Dean and Alex’s parents are still alive. However, Jake leaves the group at that moment by dropping the camera he’s using to inform the group and then walking away. Now the group prepares to leave the Greenway Mall except Dean, Astrid, Chloe, Henry, and Caroline stay behind and say their goodbyes to the rest who are leaving on the bus. One can clarify why Jake chose to leave the
In the beginning, Dean was all for going on the bus because there was absolutely no reason for him not to. They discovered his parents were in Denver, they needed supplies for Brayden, and he would be going with his brother. However, when Astrid confronts Dean she tells him that she is going to stay behind because it is too dangerous for them to go. If they were to come in contact with the chemicals in the air they would become truculent shells of their former selves. One would believe that Dean chooses to stay behind because it is the information Laybourne wanted you to discern. However, as the group explains their elaborate plan of how they would sedate them and everything, Dean’s little brother begins to see through his lies by saying: “You love her [Astrid] so much you’re never going to see your family again! I hate you!” (Laybourne 289). One can conclude that Dean’s true motive was for Astrid, even though there were a plethora of reasons for Dean to