Tom and Hester’s survival in The Post-Apocalyptic dystopian novel Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines

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Salsabila, Mutia Putri (2022) Tom and Hester’s survival in The Post-Apocalyptic dystopian novel Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines. Undergraduate thesis, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya.

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Abstract

The purpose of the study is to determine the representation of the post-apocalyptic environment in the dystopian novel Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. The novel shows the condition of nature after being destroyed by a nuclear weapon, Medusa. How the two main characters, Tom and Hester survived in the middle of the Municipal Darwinism law when the predator cities were everywhere, how they struggled in case to accomplish their purpose. This study used the descriptive qualitative method. Using the theory of ecocriticism by Greg Garrad and Kenneth Burke to describe and analyze the data about the post-apocalyptic environment in the novel as well as Tom and Hester's struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic environment in the form of words, phrases, sentences, statements and also from the dialogues in the novel. The results found that there are many kinds of representations of the post-apocalyptic environment in the novel, they are Traction Cities, Hunting Ground, Airhaven, the Sea of Khazak, Airship, and especially the weapon named Medusa. they are Traction Cities, Hunting Ground, Airhaven, the Sea of Khazak, Airship, and especially the weapon named Medusa. Traction cities represent a post-apocalyptic environment in which the giant metropolises built on Tiers that rely on giant internal fuel-based engines to move on gigantic wheels or caterpillar tracks, There are many traction cities mentioned in the novel, but based on the plot in the story, only three cities described in the novel, the first in London, the second is Speedwell, and the last is Turnbrigde Wheels. The hunting ground is a place or area used for Traction cities to hunt. Airhaven is a Tier city made from alloy floating above the ground, or it can be called the flying town. The Sea of Khazak, it consists of many silvery rust water marshes, the place dangerous for any traction cities. and the last is Medusa, the only weapon which is caused by the destruction of the story, the nuclear weapon controlled by an artificially-intelligent computer system. To survive in those apocalyptic environments, the two main characters, Tom and Hester use Burke's view of ecocriticism to face the crisis in the novel, they are goaded by the spirit of hierarchy, separated from the natural condition, meta-biology, and rotten with perfection.