Z For Zachariah

Content Warning: The section of the guide includes discussion of sexual violence and death.

“I am afraid. Someone is coming. That is, I think someone is coming, though I am not sure, and I pray that I am wrong.”

Having been alone for over a year, Ann has reason to be happy at the arrival of another human, but her first instinct is to be afraid. This duality conveys The Tension Between Community and Autonomy. Though Ann craves companionship, she is right to recognize another person as a threat to her safety and freedom.

“Suppose a car came over the hill, and I ran out, and whoever was in it got out—suppose he was crazy? Or suppose it was someone mean, or even cruel, and brutal? A murderer? What could I do?”

Ann struggles with the tension between community and autonomy. Despite her desire to have another human in the valley, she has enough intelligence to resist the urge to immediately go to the approaching man. She mentally draws a line for herself in the sand before Loomis even arrives: She is willing to share the valley, but not with someone who will abuse and control her.

“There is a flat place where the road first reaches the top of the hill—a stretch of about a hundred yards or so before it starts descending again, into the valley. When you get just past the middle of this you can see it all, the river, the house, the barn, the trees, pasture, everything. […] As it’s spring, today is all a new fresh green.”

O’Brien’s use of imagery vividly describes the valley, providing the reader with a sense of space while also conveying Ann’s knowledge of the land she inhabits. This knowledge will become an invaluable resource for Ann, as she understands nature in a way that Loomis does not, allowing her to survive. Additionally, the setting is established as a time in spring, when everything is “new.” This is a