after read the Last Town on Earth

The serious disease
Thomas Mullen’s first novel, The Last Town on Earth is set in the town of Commonwealth during World War Ⅰ. Charles Worthy, the founder of the town, decides to quarantine his town from the outside to protect it from an epidemic. The main road into the village is guarded by Phillip Worthy, who was adopted by Charles Worthy, with his friend Graham Stone. When a stranger crosses the barrier begging for food and shelter, Graham shot him. Another stranger, Frank, tries to enter, and Philip could not kill him, but let him in. Philip and Frank are locked away from the town in case Frank has the flu and during their being arrested they become friends. Although the town is under quarantine, the flu suddenly attacks Commonwealth. Villagers are weakened from the disease and starving. Men from Timber Falls, a nearby town, come to arrest people who failed to register for the draft. Philip kills one of Timber Falls’ people and turns them away from Commonwealth. In this novel, we can see how justice changed as a tool of justifying injustice means for end and people under the justice of big communities lose their critical consciousness about society.
Everyone has their own justice what they think right and tries to accomplish it. In this novel Commonwealth is the world for Industrial workers built by their justice where workman’s right is respected. Charles Worthy decided to shut down the town to achieve his justice protecting their village. In Timber Fall’s case, their Justice is about patriotism, so they come to arrest those who failed to register for the draft.
Original meaning of justice must be reasonable, fair, and right. The problem is Justice cannot be always right. In many cases, it can be easily deteriorated. It becomes not actually something to be pursued but what some people insist is right. Justice is a tool for concealing the real purpose and for justifying their methods. There is a fine line between justice and justify. Men from Timber Falls know if they visit the Commonwealth when flu was not serious, they could not arrest many people. When the flu was serious, they went to Commonwealth and arrested a lot of civilians in the town without giving chances to be cured. They did not want them to be recovered because many people could go to the army or resist them. In addition, Timber Fall men also knew that they get advantage in business if Commonwealth’s mill is under crisis. They have another purpose, but they hide it under the justice and justify mistreat people under the reason that they didn’t participate in the war. Although mistreating people is not justice, they still do it and called it justice because they disobeyed the patriot act.
Even justice was fair at first Commonwealth set it which is villager’s happiness and health but when they pursue it so hard, they killed the people. When justice is chased too much, it is going to go wrong, like race horses wearing blinkers and running fast just looking ahead but not from side to side. When people pursue only their justice, they start not to care about the method, but just to care about getting their goal. A big organization like government sets their own motto which they call justice, and within the framework of motto to accomplish their purpose they don’t care whether their goal is achieved by fair means or foul. That’s why Commonwealth Fall to chaos. Phillip and Graham, the guards of town, killed the soldier who was suffering from coldness and hunger to protect their town from epidemic. They don’t know whether he had a flu or not, they just killed him under the law of quarantine. No one blames them, nevertheless, they rather told them they did right thing for the town.
Under the will of community, the people surely wouldn’t mind giving up a few civil liberties and few people’s sacrifice for contributing justice. At first, people doubted the idea of community, but they started to get used to it. Rather than critically examine the community’s moral ideas, the people in the town just follow their ideas and assume truths to make it fit their own justice. They see other people who against their faith as their enemy. They don’t question whether it is right or wrong, but just follow the rule. When Graham killed the stranger, people assumed he must be infected with flu. People in Commonwealth justified the death of soldier by saying he must have the flu and they have no choice except killing him to protect village. Of course, to some degree fear of pestilence made Graham kill the soldier, however, it would be difficult to say that Graham could kill people if he is not following the rule not to let in strangers in order to protect the town.
When people spend a long time under the communities’ justice, they become accustomed themselves to their society’s rule and lose their critical consciousness. They don’t measure whether their government doing right thing or not, but just obey what they say and think unusual situation is normal. Philip is the typical person for this instance. In novel, when Philips infected with flu virus lies in the bed and shocked by the fact that Graham killed Frank, he keeps dreaming about riding on train but doesn’t know where to go. On harshly clattering train, he had a headache and sweating from fever. While suffering on train, he starts to meet people; Frank and his mother. Once meeting them, he starts to feel better. When he meets his mother singing lullaby and gets out from train led by her, he wakes up from the dream and his cold gets better and doesn’t feel sick anymore. After he wakes up from the dream, he changed not only in his health but also in some other sides. He was young boy who couldn’t kill soldier and even hard to grasp the rifle, but after he wakes up he killed the people from the Timber Falls who trounced villagers. It’s obvious that what Timber Falls people done was really bad thing. However, it doesn’t mean they deserve to die. Philip was a person who thinks killing people cannot be justified to protect their village. He doubted his rule of society disobeying the rule and letting the stranger in who can corner villagers into a deadly situation. After he wakes up from the dream, however, he killed the person to protect his friends and villagers. He killed the person and does not have a guilty conscience. He does not cry when his sweetheart Elsie died. He thinks killing Timber Fall people is not wrong and someone has to do it. It shows how he assimilated into the community’s justice. As dreadful and anguished train become calm to Philip over time, people who examine rule of their community at first time start to assimilate the justice of society and think sacrifice and misfortune is unavoidable process to achieve the justice. In addition, they begin to get used to all of unusual situation brought by rigorous attempt for accomplishing their ends.
This book, The Last Town on Earth is warning us how people use justice as method to justify their self-interested purpose and injustice means in order to accomplish what they called justice which is degenerated into unreasonable, unfair, and wrong. The real disease is not the flu in this book, but the real sickness is losing moral consciousness. The highly contagious virus called communities’ justice makes people in society lose moral consciousness. People just follow rules and think abandonment of a few civil liberties and a few people’s sacrifice is just a matter of a course, although each individual’s liberty and happiness are an incomparable value.

Dorm door decoration

I and my roommate participated dorm door decoration competition.

We decide to decorate our door with the theme; the sea.

I drew a lot of fish on the blue paper including cute Nemo and my roommate searched on the Internet for nice words to put on; "Fish is friends not food". We colored picture with paint.

We put really cute "fox fish" like cat fish because our 5th foor of Hester dorm's theme is fox.

It was take over 3 hours but it was fun. In Korea, we can't decorate our dorm... i mean we can, but doesn't like America. We can't nail or paint walls. Can't bring other big funitures and rearrange furnicher and usually students don't put big poster on the wall. So, it was quit unique experience for me.

In addition, guess what? guess what?!

We won 1st prize in our dorm!!! MY DOOR IS AWESOME!

Murray weather

Before I go Murray, I heard Murray’s weather is exactly same with Daegu; really hot and humid in summer and freezing cold in winter. And it was exactly true when I come to Murray. I really hate it. The sun is so strong so I even could see 100spf sunscreen lotion and eye was stinging without sunglasses. During the orientation I always sweat. And the other problem was it is really hot outside but inside the building is so cold. American students look like okay staying cold building inside with shorts clothes, but many Korean students got cold.
One day, the sky was really clean, but suddenly it starts to rain, so my friend and I have to stay under the roof and waiting for the rain to stop. Rain and wind was so heavy that we felt like we are in the center of fall. Water was keep flowing above us. We were out of mind, but, on the other side, it was really fun. We said hello each other who take shelter from the rain. Some Americans took off their shoes and leaved wet footprint.
I start to like Murray’s weather now. It is warm and not humid.
Because now it’s warm so I can’t imagine how cold in here in winter. Since I prefer winter than summer and really trust that school’s heating system will be really strong as much as summer’s air-conditioning, I think I will be okay during winter in here.

Roommate

At the moment, it’s 8AM. I woke up because my roommate brings her boyfriend again. About 7days ago when I walked din to my room I could saw a naked guy on the bed. I was totally panicked. The weird thing was my roommate and the guy wasn’t panicked at all, but rather very composed. I couldn't stay my room. I get out my room and couldn’t do anything but cried. After I composed I went my room with my friend and asked her what is going on at midnight. She told me that he is her fiancé. She said, “He is lie on my bed not your bed so nothing is problem. You can just stay in the room and sleep on your bed. You don’t have to care about it.” As a one more important information, the bed in out room is a bunk bed. She will sleep under my bed with the guy wearing just underwear. How I can stay my room as if nothing is happening? Is it normal? I couldn’t stay my room anymore and have to get out. I didn’t have any place to stay I keep cried. Here are so harsh and now I even lose the place I stay the home to rest. Next day when I get in to room and saw torchiere she bought, I was shaking with fear whether she married yesterday and lives with him in here forever. I made rush for a front desk and ask isn’t it against a dorm regulation. But they told me it is possible. It was totally culture shock. In Korea, women and men don’t share same building and we can’t bring outsiders in the room.
Few hours later….
I moved my dorm! Finally! I am so happy! My new roommate is so nice. She brought her friend and we watched the movie together eating pizza.

Murray

This is what I talked with my American professor in home university on facebook after I came here.
I: I’m in Murray, Kentucky!!!
The professor: Murray, Kentucky is an awfully small city. It has about 17,000 people while Kongju has 145,000. Way smaller than Pyeongtaek. Unfortunately, you're not even legal to drink until your next birthday.
I: Don't make me desperate TT. I have to stay here in a year. Can't drink in here is really nice thing! If I could drink in this awful city, I must be an alcoholic. My roommate is nightmare TT. She is like a reptile. She doesn’t know how to smile. She doesn’t have any friends. She even doesn’t go out to eat lunch or dinner. She just stuck in her room all the time.
The professor: A year?!? I thought you were on the 4-week program. Get out, get out now. There's no way you'll make it a year. I couldn't live there for a year and I'm American.
I have experience living in America before for six-month. It was wonderful and beautiful city San-Antonio!!! Near my house, there was wonderful outdoor swimming pool and Sea world was only one hour by car! Every weekend my family travel all around America. We went Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Dallas, Oklahoma, Rocky Mountains and so on. That was the impression I got about America. I dream about traveling around Murray. But there is no bus or train here. I have a drive license but I can’t rent a car since I’m under 21.
When I looked forward to going to Murray, I was filled with dream getting out from small city Kong-ju and broadening my vision in big country America. But here was totally different with what I expected. I don’t have anything to do at weekend. I am in foreign country now, but talking with my family or friend on the Internet is the funniest time.
But class in here is really exciting. Students give their opinion freely while professor are giving lecture. Students share ideas and information. Professor gives a lot of assignment. And I met many nice Chinese friends. They always help me whenever I have problems.

Doing time in the Murray State Penitentiary

An Urban Korean Girl in an American Wasteland
Searching for Soju in a Dry County