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.
Themes
The Consequences of Aging
The postmortal refers to the cure for aging administered to most adults in the novel. The few who reject the cure are referred to as “organics” and are often looked down upon for their stance. The world Magary creates underscores both the positive and negative effects of aging, filtered through the lens of those suddenly trapped to witness the passing of time. Over the course of five decades, Magary exposes the way aging impacts society and the world, creating a clear argument in favor of aging despite its apparent ramifications.
John pursues the cure because of the negative consequences of aging. He equates age with dying and thus seeks the cure to remove one potential cause of death. Aging is, from the novel’s onset, linked to dying in a way that is meant to compel the reader into thinking about the negative consequences of aging. Many of the novel’s “organic” characters are discussed in connection with diseases or conditions linked to age—an anarchist who is dying of cancer vehemently rejects the antiaging cure, while Solara’s sister regrets receiving the cure and is ultimately put in a home for people with dementia. Some characters showcase how agelessness lets them interact with their families in a more intergenerational way, such as the nurse who helps John’s father. She expands her and her husband’s legacy as elders by watching subsequent generations be born and raised, allowing them to see their loved ones for much longer. Aging is shown to be associated with pain, fatigue, and illness, all of which are real consequences of aging in our modern times.
However, the positive consequences of aging are also explored in great depth, represented by contrasting the ramifications of an unageing population. Aging encourages people to develop communities and maintain relationships through a sense of mutual commiseration; people care for each other because they share experiences. John, when freed of aging, struggles to connect with people on a deeply emotional level, as exemplified when he avoids marrying Sonia because he does not believe in their love’s longevity. Aging also implies growth, empowering individuals to change themselves to adjust to new situations. It allows people to be more adaptable to ensure survival. As the society in The Postmortal develops, its unaging population becomes hyper-individualistic and more prone to brutality. This type of individualism is shown as futile in the face of crisis at the end of the novel, while populations that collaborate are able to survive.
The environmental effects of agelessness are also highlighted extensively throughout the text. In a population that does not age, people naturally live longer and thus consume more resources than those following natural life cycles. The scenarios Magary presents—destroyed ecosystems and resource scarcity—mirror real-life concerns experts have with growing populations, industrialization, and urbanization. The violence that emerges from these issues—war, compulsory euthanization, and widespread interpersonal violence—also reflect speculated-upon futures. This underscores the need for aging and changing populations; without regular life cycles, the environment cannot be sustained.
The Role of Morality
Morality evolves within The Postmortal as society adapts to a cure for aging. In no longer having to fear age-related death and discomfort, people shift how they behave—both alone and in groups. The novel’s events are filtered through John’s perspective, and moral alignment, therefore, focuses on his experiences. However, John encounters enough people and has enough explicit discussions that the reader understands the implications of society’s shifting morals.
The first moral shift comes before the cure is fully legalized in the United States: People seek divorces, no longer wishing to remain with their partners now that their lives have been extended. Ultimately, cycle marriages are introduced, in which people are married for a prearranged number of years and have the option of extending their contracts. The breakdown of marriage shows the disruption of central tenets like love and commitment. On a broad, societal scale, people decide that they no longer want longevity in their relationships. They instead seek temporary companionship with the option of leaving easily. This transition reflects both a shortsightedness and an abandonment of intimacy. Because love becomes temporary, there is no need to address existing problems; instead, issues can be ignored, making it more likely that the couple ends their relationship at the end of the given timeline. The morals tied to long-term relationships encourage growth and connection; without them, there is a deterioration of commitment and forethought.
The introduction of trolls, including terra trolls and Greenies, shows a further moral shift that is tied to long-term harm and disruption. One such troll relays a deep hatred of people in an interview, detailing his tumultuous past and how it resulted in general hate for humanity. As populations grow, so does the number of people who seem to agree with anti-human rhetoric and the Greenies’ willingness to harm others. Magary uses the presence of these chaos-driven groups as a jumping-off point for the normalization of violence. Morals about coexistence form to help societies flourish, and they ensure the longevity of communities. In the text, when individuals are instead made long-lasting, their self-focus overpowers any sense of altruism. Morals protect whole groups, and when that protection is stripped away, there are serious ramifications for those who do not have the power or ability to protect themselves. Fascination with violence and chaos, when paired with individualism, endangers the broader society. This is showcased later in the novel through the exploration of soldiers who defect. Soldiers, such as the Russian Dmitrov, prioritize their survival over the communities they plunder. Although their self-focus is the result of self-preservation rather than a desire to do harm, it still shows a definitive moral change that turns away from supporting communities.
Individualism as a moral concern becomes reinforced through John’s end specialist consultant work, especially through his conversations with Ernie. Here, individual wants and needs are juxtaposed with a more difficult-to-place morality regarding the value of human life. Ernie frequently reinforces that he has a wife and children to take care of; his morality aligns with protecting his family rather than something beyond them. John shares this perspective for most of the novel. It is not until he connects with Solara and learns about her pregnancy that his morality expands to become community focused. After undergoing this transformation, he becomes repulsed with parts of end specialization with which Ernie continues to engage. Morality is thus tied to emotional connectivity, as a person’s feelings influence their behaviors. When feelings are applied on a broader scale, people are empowered to be broader in their moral decisions.
Magary uses these examples to reinforce that the primary role of morality is to help societies and communities run smoothly. He shows that when morality shifts to focus on the self rather than the whole, connection degrades, leading to isolation and further self-centered behavior. There is a comfort in being part of a community and aligning morals with like-minded individuals.
Death’s Inevitability
The Postmortal explores a world in which the causes of death are slowly eradicated. First, aging is eliminated, resulting in a population boom as people no longer die of old age. Decades later, a vaccine is introduced that cures diseases and infertility. Death is thus reduced to traumatic circumstances, such as violence, specific pandemic outbreaks, and nuclear warfare. The fear of mortality, the deaths that occur throughout the novel, and John’s ultimate understanding of death at the novel’s conclusion showcase Death’s Inevitability.
One of the most important deaths in the book takes place before it begins. John’s mother dies of cancer, an event that has a clear, profound effect on him and may be the source of his initial fear of dying. He seeks the cure for aging immediately without reflecting on its long-term ramifications, an action that he acknowledges is out of character for him. His step toward immortality is darkened by Katy’s death, as she dies attempting to prolong her life through the same cure. The explosion that kills her reminds the reader that the cure for aging is not immunity; taking care of one cause of death does not remove death entirely. With this, the reader understands the futility of John’s search for immortality even before he does.
John’s father provides mortality-related catharsis, even as Alison’s death reopens mortality trauma. John’s father wants to die, having lived the life he wanted. He possesses a faith in the afterlife that involves being reunited with his late wife, so when he is diagnosed with cancer, he does not pursue treatment. Although he could fight against his disease, he instead lets it run its course, an act that shows an acceptance of the inevitable. His peaceful passing, while sad, comforts John. However, his mourning is interrupted by Alison’s violent, surprising demise. Alison is healthy and cured, and she should have been able to live for a long time. Even as John witnesses an inevitable death, he is shocked by an unexpected one. This reaffirms his fear of dying, even as he experiences suicidal ideation. He ends up fleeing the country, trying to escape his fear.
It is thus ironic that John returns to the United States to work as an end specialist consultant, entrenching him in the language of death and surrounding him with people who want to die. This has a profound effect on his psyche, combining with previous traumas to manifest symptoms like insomnia. John is torn between his own desire to live and his knowledge that all people die, even when their lives are prolonged. This becomes a bonding point between Solara and him. They share about the people they lost, a conversation that highlights how they are haunted by their loved ones.
John finally accepts the inevitability of death, including his own, when he devotes himself to getting Solara to safety. As nuclear war begins, John’s one desire is to guarantee that Solara and her child survive. Though he has been stabbed, he gets them to the Church of Man and ensures that she receives medical attention after a gunshot wound. He places his faith in her, understanding that he has served a purpose that extends beyond himself by saving her and her unborn child. Knowing that she will survive is enough to give him peace, and in peace, he accepts that he is not immortal. In a moment that mirrors his father’s death, John reflects on life and accepts its conclusion, taking power over his own end. In this acceptance, he lets go of his fear of the unknown.
