Essay Questions

Why has water become scarce in the world of The Drought?

In the world of The Drought, water has become scarce because of climate change brought about by human actions. Specifically, the effects of rapid industrialization and the waste created by said industrial activity destroy the precipitation cycle, prevent evaporation from occurring, cause the ocean to retreat, and turn the areas left behind by the oceans into vast, hot deserts. Because the water was poisoned and is retreating, water becomes very scarce in the world, which kills quite a few people and causes those who remain to fight tooth and nail over what little water remains.

Before the drought began, what did Ransom do for work?

Before the drought began, Ransom (the protagonist of the novel) was a medical doctor. Readers never learn what kind of doctor Ransom was; instead, his ability (or lack thereof) as a medical practitioner is left up to readers' inferences. However, many of the characters in the novel refuse to ask for—or follow—Ransom's advice. They still call him "doctor," though, indicating that they respect him.