I find Kermode’s thesis reassuring in its logical simplicity. I believe that his assertion about the nature of the Apocalypse – that we “project ourselves … past the End, so as to see the structured whole” (p. 8 ) – is entirely true. What is more human than the desire to fill in the ambiguous blanks of reality, whether the imagined “fillers” have any basis in truth or not? Human nature relies on the creation of our own realities around a larger truth, particularly when it comes to events that we don’t experience directly. Everyone has a different perception of historical occurrences that are widely accepted as being true – the details are where fact and fiction often collide. I believe that the proliferation of Apocalypse myths in our culture owes much to this human characteristic. We yearn for certain completeness, in everyday life and in our own constructed myths, and our views of the Apocalypse are no different.
As Kermode states on page 9, the “power to manipulate data in order to achieve the desired consonance” is key to the flexibility of real-world applications of Apocalypse myths. Kermode’s own beliefs about the nature of the myth meshes well with the ethos of Rosen’s introduction, which focuses on continuously shifting tenets of the myth as it pertains to contemporary culture. In a departure from Judeo-Christian teachings, the postmodern take on the Apocalypse minimizes the actual deity in favor of a human perspective, and interestingly reverts back to a mindset that was favored during ancient times. In the new iteration of the End of Times, Rosen states that there is no definite end and beginning – rather, time is cyclical, and “endings become beginnings and vice versa” (p. xxiv). This noteworthy shift in the depiction of time immediately reminded me of Alan Moore’s depiction of time in his seminal graphic novel, Watchmen, where portions of the text are experienced not along a chronological axis of time, but throughout a cosmic, non-linear cloud of events. Similarly, Kurt Vonnegut used this literary technique in Slaughterhouse Five, rejecting the formal notion of time in favor of a dizzying but ultimately resounding narrative that strays from typical chronology.
Oft-cited fictional works that depict the apocalypse, like Watchmen and Slaughterhouse Five, share distinctive textual similarities to the 1952 propaganda film “Duck and Cover.” At first, these similarities may not be obvious, but at its core, the film clearly creates its own Apocalypse myth. Half live-action and animation, “Duck and Cover” is a product of its time that can be quite frightening in retrospect, but also serves as a form of entertainment. When it was released, it was not a parable or a morality tale – it was a warning. The relevance of its protagonist, an anthropomorphic tortoise named Bert, is questionable. This film, which was clearly intended for children, shows how the Apocalypse myth became so engrained in American culture that it was converted into a convenient, upbeat children’s short. “Duck and Cover” is a prominent example of the intrinsic connection between mainstream culture and subversive themes of imminent doom, and its actual usefulness is highly debatable. However, its existence speaks volumes towards our collective obsession with the Apocalypse – and perhaps our distinctive lack of connection as well. “Duck and Cover” and the lessons its makers intended to teach are hidden behind layers of insincerity and muddled gimmickry, perhaps because it was produced for an immature audience. Nonetheless, it remains a relic that is simultaneously eerie, campy, and highly representative of a distinct moment in time.
Image from Hal Lindsay’s “There’s a New World Coming,” a 1974 Christian comic that depicts the end of times
I like the point you made here with regards to human nature filling in the “blanks” of reality. I’ve often said that we make stories up to explain what we don’t know. Or at least, I’ve heard it said that way. Whether one subscribes to the idea or not, it can be said that religion has been created for such purposes. A derivation of that is that the apocalyptic images and whatnot can be seen entirely as explanations for what will happen to us, how the world will end. Alternatively, it could have been created for the pure purpose of creating a sense of fear in the people, that over generations became so manifest that it was not even thought about in such terms but became something widely believed in.
I think that the “purpose” of Apocalyptic belief is complex, but I agree that it is some sort of combination between an explanatory theory and a fear-instilling cultural motif, among other things. In the case of “Duck and Cover,” the Apocalypse becomes a mundane occurence that can be prepared for using simple directions. Ultimately, the End of Days is a malleable construct. Like you said, the function of religion parallels the function of the Apocalypse myth, not only because it extends our beliefs beyond the temporal – it fills a void for the uncertain.
I think it’s ironic that the idea of Armageddon is blown in proportion in times when it is mute, there is no real threat of Armageddon other than those that say it is coming. In the case of the “Duck and Cover” video, the idea of Armageddon is minimized and made into a domestic idea. The fear is removed from this very situation that death might approach at any moment.