Published Online:September 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of English Studies
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJES0100925
DOI:10.71329/IUPJES/2025.20.3.106-116
Author Name:Saranya R and Evangeline Priscilla B
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Arts and Humanities
Download Format:PDF
Pages:106-116
Post-apocalyptic stories, whether set in the present or a distant future, primarily explore survival and human resilience in the aftermath of catastrophic events. These narratives often highlight protagonists with exceptional survival skills and a tenacious spirit, navigating worlds transformed by disasters, pandemics, or unknown threats. The global Covid-19 pandemic, accompanied by its numerous variants, has reignited public interest in post-apocalyptic literature and films, reflecting contemporary anxieties about mortality, societal collapse, and human adaptability. This paper undertakes a detailed examination of two novels, Bird Box by Josh Malerman and The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, to explore the dynamics of survival in post-apocalyptic settings. The study emphasizes gendered perspectives on survival, analyzing the distinctive strategies and leadership qualities of male and female protagonists. These narratives, while dystopian in nature, provide readers with reflective insight into human resilience, moral dilemmas, and the hope for rebuilding civilization.
In the contemporary literary landscape, post-apocalyptic narratives have gained considerable prominence, reflecting societal fears, existential anxieties, and the human fascination with survival under extreme conditions.