My draft:
Visualize yourself walking hand in hand with your cousin or maybe even
drive a disintegrated jeep with a cigarette as a fourteen-year-old. Both are
not only highly infeasible but extremely illegal. The futuristic world in How
I Live Now contained several inconsistencies to the state of the world now
and the world in the anticipated future. This was due to there being no context
prior to the spontaneous war, a lack of modern technology, and the unrealistic
character traits the characters possess as teens that are showcased throughout
the book.
First and foremost is the sudden outbreak of the war. In How I Live Now,
World War 3 breaks out with a sudden bomb with no context of the geopolitical
events and the gradual tension prior to the sudden attack. The ongoing Israel-Palestine
conflict that commenced in the 1948 War was the culmination of 30 years of
friction between the two countries. The war also rapidly escalates in the
novel, which is improbable considering that much logistics are involved when
preparing for a war. After provoking a nation, a battle gradually instigates.
Nonetheless, studying maps, analyzing the enemy’s weaknesses, and gathering
soldiers is a long process. In the novel, food rationing and shutting down
transports, which are two examples of actions that governments establish prior
to the pinnacle of a war, occur immediately after the first bomb goes off.
Equally important is the lack of modern technology in the book. For
instance, Aunt Penn’s death was finally confirmed two years of uncertainty after
she first left for Oslo. According to the United States Department of State, receiving
a consular report of death, which includes completing the foreign death
certificate and finding the cause of death, is currently estimated to take no
longer than four to six months. With the evolution of technology, Aunt Penn’s
children should have been notified of her death sooner. Although the exact period
in which this novel takes place is not mentioned, at least one groundbreaking
invention is created every year. Nevertheless, there was no mention of flying
cars or superhuman cloning, nor were existing technologies such as AI or
automated vehicles incorporated into the plot. Not to mention, teenagers
nowadays are heavily dependent on technology for communication, entertainment,
and accessing information. Nonetheless, utilizing social media as a means of
communicating with her friends and dad is not mentioned once in the novel. Daisy
writes a letter to Leah by hand. In addition, the teens are regularly seen
fishing or interacting with animals in the first part of the book, with no
mention of them mindlessly scrolling on shorts as most teenagers do today.
Finally, there are some of the character trait-related discrepancies. Throughout
the novel, Daisy and Piper survive alone while evacuating their war-torn abode.
The typical adolescent from an upper-class background is sheltered from the
ruthless realities. It can be deduced that Daisy came from an affluent family because
she described the house as “…practically indescribable if the only house you’ve
lived in before are apartments in New York City.” According to Business
Insider, only 4.68% of the New York population have achieved millionaire status,
meaning that over 93% cannot afford luxurious homes. This illustrates Daisy’s
being sheltered and ignorant because not all apartments in New York are
spacious and elegant, and it also hints that she has only lived in opulent
flats in New York. Hence, Daisy should have complained while being on the run
with Piper. Nonetheless, she demonstrates excellent maturity by caring for
Piper without fearing the future. Daisy is highly objective when reminiscing on
her thoughts throughout the novel.
Although some readers may argue that Daisy’s battle with anorexia
depicts the internal state of a typical teenager, it is extremely short-lived
and disregarded in the novel. On page 172, Daisy says, “Somewhere along the
line, I’d lost the will not to eat.” Eating disorders do not disappear without proper
treatment and recovery. To elaborate, Daisy’s dissatisfaction with her body was
not mentioned throughout the novel. Daisy contradicts the characteristics of
the typical victim of anorexia because they are constantly obsessing over their
body image.
In conclusion, the futuristic world presented in How I Live Now
does not correlate to the present world, nor the anticipated world in the
future due to the spontaneity of the war, the absence of modern technology, and
the difference in the personalities of Daisy and Piper compared to the typical
character traits of a teenage girl. By making the novel more plausible, the
young audience will find How I Live Now more enjoyable.
