Perfect summer
In the second chapter, Theo talks about the summers he used to spend at his cousin’s house. Theo and Xan were almost the same age and Theo was invited every summer to go to his cousin. While Theo and Xan never really did get along, Theo describes the weeks he spend with Xan as being blissful. Theo talks about the activities he would do and how those were his happiest memories. Thus, the image portrayed here is that of complete bliss and lack of worry. In a sense, Theo had a perfect childhood because of his cousin and because of the wealth his cousin possessed.
Lack of hope
After mentioning the fact that everyone on earth was infertile, Theo describes the buildings that once used to be the home to different establishments that had the role of offering children an education and providing them with entertainment. The buildings in question were abandoned, left to turn into ruins by the population who was sure that no children will ever be born again. The image described here is important because it helps the reader visualize the state of mind the people had and how they were affected by the knowledge that humanity will most likely die with them.
Preparing to die
Another important image appears in the first chapter, when the author talks about the society as a whole. Then, he describes the society as being hopeless, no longer believing that a new generation could be born. Because of this, the population is described in very grim terms, as being depressed and no longer willing to do anything to change their fate.
Infected finger
When Theo thinks about his father, he remembers him as a sick man who suffered a lot in the last days of his life. When Theo thinks about his father, he remembers him having an infected finger, oozing puss and smelling in a foul way. In one of his memories, Theo’s father is staying at the foot of his son’s bed, with his infected finger stretched and pointing towards Theo. This image made Theo be afraid of his father, as it was a visual representation of the fact that humans are susceptible to illness and death and that their existence is extremely fragile in comparison with the rest of the world.
