In the Days of the Comet · Chapter
II: The Awakening explained
The narrator describes the global impact of the comet's catalytic change, which transformed the nitrogen of the air into a respirable gas that renewed all living things.
What happens
The narrator describes the global impact of the comet's catalytic change, which transformed the nitrogen of the air into a respirable gas that renewed all living things. He reflects on the universal stillness that fell over the world for three hours, the chaos of unguided vehicles and fires, and the first newspaper printed after the Change, which reported the new epoch with simple clarity. The chapter also contrasts the old religious revivals with the enduring Great Revival that followed the Change.
Themes in this chapter
Transformation and Renewal
The entire chapter centers on the catalytic change brought by the comet, renewing all life and consciousness.
War and Conflict
The chapter mentions a naval battle in progress and the destruction of warships, highlighting the pre-Change violence.
Memory and Retrospection
The narrator reflects on past revivals and the old world, contrasting them with the new epoch.
Characters to notice
- Willie Leadford
The narrator, who awakens renewed and reflects on the global Change.
- Parload
Mentioned as the source of information about the chemical changes in the air.
- Nettie Stuart
Present in the inn garden after the Change, scrutinizing the narrator as he reads the newspaper.
- Edward Verrall
Reads the newspaper over the narrator's shoulder in the inn garden.
- Mrs. Leadford
The narrator sends a telegram to her to say all is well.
Key passages
“So the great Day came to me. And even as I had awakened so in that same dawn the whole world awoke.”
The narrator's personal awakening coincided with the global awakening caused by the comet.
Highlights the simultaneous renewal of the individual and the world.
“The great voice of material Fate cried Halt! And in the midst of the play the actors staggered, dropped, and were still.”
The comet's effect halted all human activity abruptly, as if fate itself commanded a pause.
Emphasizes the sudden and universal stillness during the Change.
“It is easy to see the New Paper had been set up overnight, and then large pieces of the stereo plates replaced subsequently.”
The first post-Change newspaper was hastily revised, with old content cut out and new information inserted.
Illustrates the rapid adaptation to the new reality.