Abandoned Woolcombe
Theo talks fondly about Woolcombe, his cousin’s estate and the place where he used to spend his summers. When thinking about the future humanity will most likely have, Theo mentions Woolcombe and how he feels sadden at the thought that the estate will be one day inhabited. Woolcombe is however more than just an estate and it is used here as a metaphor to make reference to the entire earth that will one day be deserted.
Science as a God
When the last generation was born, the people all over the world began putting their trust in science. The people began almost worshiping the idea of science that they hoped will save humanity. Thus, the author compares the way people treated science with the way the population used to once treat God.
Videos and drugs
Since the population became infertile, those who wanted to have children and could not began watching videos with children to control their desire to have babies of their own. The population became so obsessed with the idea of watching children that the narrator compared those who watched the videos with drug addicts. Through this comparison, the narrator wanted to show just how obsessed the population was with the idea of having children.
Funeral procession
A mass suicide is described in one of the chapters and Theo is among the people who watch as a group of elderly women are taken into the ocean to drown. Theo describes the event while also mentioning that in a way, the funeral procession can be compared to a christening or with other processions linked with birth and new beginnings. The comparison between the two shows just how much the society was affected by the infertility.
Metaphor for power
While at Jasper’s house, Theo takes the gun with which Jasper killed himself without telling anyone about its existence. The gun is an important elements because it is used here both as a metaphor for power and for death.
