SURVIVALISM: AN ANALYSIS IN DRIVER 8 AND DETOUR

Abstract

The paper throws light on the survival of people in the midst of the society where mishaps, devastations, destructions, and calamities occur without any anticipation. The sudden breakdown in the society and the mass collapse of life creates changes in the character of people and is reflected in the novel Driver 8 and Detour by Hopf . The character and mental health of people are diverse due to their prosperity, and possession of materialistic wealth. This paper highlights the portrayal of sudden changes in the lives of the characters and their struggle in overcoming the challenges. The two novels clearly depict the existence of people during and after the devastation. Most of the characters are compelled to balance their love, life and family for survival based on different circumstances. In the novel Driver 8, the author depicts about the characters, who lost their identity under the government surveillance. Character like driver who knows the factual situation happening outside the campus played an important role in bringing freedom to all the people under the surveillance at the end of the novel. In the surveillance society, the characters survived as slaves by fighting against the cannibals outside the campus, and facing oppression by the wealthy people. The second novel Detour alludes about the survivors of the world with distortion. In this novel, the entire society is affected with cannibalism. In order to survive, one has to lose their love, family and sometimes their own self-identity. To continue as a survivalist, one has to strive against his own moral and wicked opinions.