A Canticle for Leibowitz

Life after nuclear war can be an exciting adventure

The Setting America following a nuclear war At that time, science fiction writers

would refer to this kind of setting as “post-holocaust”

Pre-war knowledge is gathered and preserved by the Catholic church

The three sections Fiat Homo = “Let there be man”

Fiat Lux = “Let there be light”

Fiat Voluntas Tua = “Thy Will Be Done”

Context for Leibowitz Written at a time when there was a

concern over nuclear war (1959)

Setting is a post-nuclear world

Knowledge is preserved, but not fully understood

Key Themes Things that once were culturally

relevant are now archaic, ceremonial and no longer fully understood by everyone

Examples: Latin references, the shopping list, etc.

Book becomes its own metaphor

Key Themes In a post-apocalyptic world,

communication breaks down

Communities live in isolation

People live without understanding technology

Futility of the present People spend time doing jobs they

do not understand Fear that humanity may not have

learned the lessons of the past Does humankind have the ability

to survive the worst?

Religion After the decline of the Roman

Empire, monks kept knowledge alive Novel plays upon that idea, with main

characters who are custodians of manuscripts

But the characters do not understand much of what they preserve

Brother Frances His character is based on the life of

a monk in Medieval times

Updated to reflect post-apocalyptic world

Science is in its infancy in his world

An ancient “artifact” (p. 26) “He handled the papers as he

might handle holy things”

A shopping list

“Pound pastrami, can kraut, six bagels – bring home for Emma.”

Summary As you read “Canticle” think about

whether or not the novel allows for hope for humanity

Also consider the rate of progess. How far does science advance?

What role does history play in this work?