59 pages • 1 hour read
Drew MagaryThe Postmortal
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
The novel’s form consists of short blog entries punctuated by news articles, headlines, and interviews. How does this form impact the story that is being told? Similarly, how do the large gaps in the narrative impact the story?
John loves three women over the course of his life. Compare and contrast each of the women he loved. How did they impact his life? How did his relationships with them change his life’s trajectory?
How does John change throughout the novel? In what ways does he show that he is a dynamic character?
Who or what is the true antagonist of the novel?
What are the benefits of the cure? What are the negative consequences? If offered the chance, would you take it?
How does John’s view of death evolve over time? How does this evolution mirror or contrast the ways other characters view death?
John ultimately works as an end specialist. How does end specialization change over the course of the novel? What does end specialization become?
The first “chapter” of the novel is a note that comes from the year 2093, showing that humanity survived the book’s disastrous events. What argument is the book making about human perseverance? Use evidence from the text to describe the different ways people persevere in the future of The Postmortal.
Although The Postmortal was published in 2009, it shares many of the anxieties felt by modern citizens. What parallels do you see between the novel’s events and current events? In what ways does the author build on modern concerns?
Compare and contrast the domestic terrorist events featured in the novel, such as the bombings and attacks performed by the Greenies, to the government-sanctioned activities such as hard end specialization. Which is worse? What does the growing power of these two groups say about the post-cure world?
