‘The Day of the Triffids’ is, essentially, a story of hope.
By Christian Arrie
‘The Day of the Triffids’ is written by John Wyndham, which was first published in 1951 by Michael Joseph. The novel is Science fiction set in an ecological apocalypse, commenced by an unexpected fall of comets around the globe that constantly flashed green lights. The event caused a population to be rendered blind, now at the mercy of a marauder-Triffids. The novel follows Bill (protagonist) in his journey to find salvation and to escape from the menacing carnivorous Triffids. In this essay I will discuss whether the novel is based on hope, especially in a time of devastation and the corruption of civilisation. This essay will display how this is a story of hope, but will also argue for other interpretations: love (discussing the love Bill and Josella and their growth of relationship) and horror (the suicides, deaths, Triffids, etc.).
Hope is vital for the characters in the story, because without hope they are incapable of seeing the future and they tend to think there is no use of going on with life. When people have hope, they have faith and hoping for something is similar to praying for a desire. Especially in a time of desperation, threat and isolation, many seek out to find their desires through one man- God. This is why Miss Durrant and her group look towards faith because they hope that God will save them. Hope is also displayed in Michael Beadley, as he leads a horde of despaired people into reeling back hope and building a new society- “...And we have the means, the health, and the strength to begin to build again” (Ch 7). This proves that he has hope, a dream or a goal, for a better future. Dr Vorless, a Professor of Sociology at the University, also has a comparable hope-“...the race is worth preserving...” (Ch 7). The novel also shows how the absence of hope can lead man to do foolish things. Dr Soames, Bills doctor at the hospital, abruptly kills himself after finding...