Last and First Men · Chapter
II: Behaviour of the Condemned explained
The Last Men confront the imminent solar catastrophe with serene acceptance, transforming grief into ecstatic contemplation.
What happens
The Last Men confront the imminent solar catastrophe with serene acceptance, transforming grief into ecstatic contemplation. They undertake two tasks: disseminating seeds of a new humanity across the stars and influencing past minds through a newly discovered power, all while maintaining a stoic commitment to their final duty.
Themes in this chapter
Cosmic Indifference and Meaning
The Last Men find meaning in their fate despite the universe's indifference, transforming grief into ecstasy.
Immortality and Death
The chapter deals with the end of humanity and the attempt to preserve life through seeds, confronting mortality directly.
The Limits of Knowledge
The Last Men discover a power to influence past minds, challenging conventional understanding of time and causality.
Characters to notice
- The Last Men
Facing their doom, they experience a racial trance and resolve to spread life seeds and influence the past.
- The Narrator
Describes the collective emotions and tasks of the Last Men, including the plan for dissemination and the power to influence past minds.
- The First Men
Mentioned as part of the human past that the Last Men seek to understand and admire.
Key passages
“The discovery of this doom kindled in us unfamiliar emotions.”
Learning of our impending destruction stirred new feelings within us.
Opening line sets the tone of confronting mortality.
“Grief was now transfigured wholly into ecstasy.”
Our sorrow turned completely into joy.
Highlights the transformation of emotional response to doom.
“We are now setting about the forlorn task of disseminating among the stars the seeds of a new humanity.”
We are beginning the hopeless mission of spreading the seeds of a new human race among the stars.
Describes the primary future-oriented task.
“We have long been able to enter into past minds and participate in their experience.”
For a long time, we have been able to enter and share in the experiences of past minds.
Introduces the ability to interact with the past.