We Are Unprepared is a cautionary tale that is set in fictional Isole, Vermont. Ash and Pia are a married couple who move from urbanized Brooklyn to live a more simple, homestead life. After being there for three months there is news of an impeding superstorm. The narrative is set in Ash’s perspective. Pia, his wife, can be described as limitless, creative, organic, and beautiful. Ash is native to Vermont. He enjoys making furniture and eating organic, he is loyal and protective of Pia. August is their neighbor. He is a 7-year-old boy who is neglected by his parents and frequently plays in the woods. August sees Ash as a father figure and Ash wants to adopt him but Pia is not protective of him like Ash is. Ash meets Bev, a social worker who is hoping to find August a stable home after August goes missing for over a day. Ash tries to convince Pia to adopt August but she wants to conceive a child herself. Peg is another neighbor of Ash and August. She is an older woman who teaches at Lyndon State College. She is also an author, a botanist, and an activist. Ash describes her as accomplished, smart and well-traveled. As August and Ash meet for the first time in Peg’s home she discusses with Ash her beliefs that the government is not being honest about the intensity of the storms and believes it will be worse than the government warns. Pia wants to feel prepared so she joins a doomsday preparation group called The Preppers which is lead by Crow. He is an ex-military man who focuses on protection for his secluded group. He advocates energy conservation, water safety, food supply, and communication technology because he predicts the technological world will be destroyed. On the other hand there is John “Salty” Salting, a member of the Isole community who is part of an unofficial group of successful statesmen that work on good causes that aim to better the community as a whole. He calls a meeting for the townspeople to discuss preparations for the storm. Ash and Pia and Peg attend this meeting. There is a gun incident where a man named Roger commands his road is plowed first. Roger is denied the answer he desires so he commands the attention of the room by firing two bullets into the ceiling. Ash and Salty pin Roger down and get the gun away from him. Police are called and the meeting concludes early. Salty and Ash formally meet and Salty quietly invites Ash to join a subcommittee to address the issues The Storm will bring. When Pia learns of Salty’s invitation she is furious with Ash. Pia believes Salty’s subcommittee is like a shadow government and he does not want Ash to join them. This indicates a really big rift in their relationship.
- In your life what do you feel protective of? Is there a place or a person that you would shield from the effects of climate change?
- What would you do to prepare yourself for The Storm?
Quiz 1
Quiz
Pia joins the —
Isolé (French) means 1. friendly 2) Isolated 3)warning
There is an impending —
Pia joins the —
Isolé (French) means 1. friendly 2) Isolated 3)warning
There is an impending —
Question 6) Do you think Pia is selfish for wanting to conceive a child on her own knowing August's family situation?
ReplyDeleteYes, I do. I am of the opinion that people can reduce their impact on the planet by not having children. I believe people will not stop having children, but world-conscientious people can do a huge favor to the world by adopting the unwanted children. God knows there are so many who go unloved.