The Future Is Now

The Future Is Now is written by Katherine Anne Porter and serves as a didactic piece in a time after bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lesson taught gives a look into life from an optimistic standpoint. A human's hope is to live a long life and he/she should do what makes them happy in that time. As Porter puts it, "At the very least, he is doing something he feel is worth doing now, and that is no small thing" (195). In her explaining of this Porter also states her hopes that while the world may seem like it is falling to pieces, it may just be it figuring out a way to put them all back together. 

Porter establishes her ethos in a few biblical references as well as in historical events and personal experiences. This creates an audience who may match a similar mind as Porter describes for herself when referencing the seeming eternity in the continuation of customs. She describes herself as one who "can be soothed with large generalities of that nature" (195), which has similar qualities to what she tries to do for her reader. Porter also has established ethos as she is respected in the written works community being a Pulitzer prize winner and bestselling author. 

Porter's work is very strong. She is able to use an allegory in a literal connection between her personal encounters in life with what abstract ideas she sees in the world. She is stating an opinion on bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki while also explaining how it can relate to life existentially. This makes it easy to understand exactly what her view is. She is not as much persuading the reader to agree with her, but is attempting to inform of what she has discovered in her life. 

Putting the Pieces Together

Perhaps the world is not falling apart, but coming together.



http://www.gcsu.edu/engagement/studentresearch/docs/15th_GC_Student_Research_Conference_Schedule_2012___Quick_Reference_Program.pdf