Literary Interpretation of the Future is Now
“The future is now” is an informative essay, in which Katherine Anne Porter documents and details the many aspects of World War II, as well discusses her own perception of the war, and it’s overall effect on both the civilians and troops. Porter does this by describing several factors in which she attributes to the demise of millions of people, such as bombings, flood, famine, and plague.
Although an interesting story, Porter’s purpose in writing “The Future Is Now” can be unclear. For example, It may seem like an angsty article in which the purpose is to speak against the war and ultimately inform people they’re going to die and that they need to accept it; however, it is the polar opposite. Potter writes to not only inform readers of the war, but to analyze and discuss human nature and how we have a tendency to become so obsessed with the future, we forget about living in the moment.
Throughout this essay, Porter utilizes a regret-filled and rather bitter tone in order to help deliver her overall purpose and theme. For instance, Porter recalls seeing a man wiping off his table, causing her to question how one is able to clean off his table while the country is almost destined to be blown up. This bittered tone can also be seen when Porter describes the many ways of which people died, from bombings to plague; it is evident to the reader that Katherine feels remorse for those lives lost, even expressing her regret by saying “how could it be, we’ve become familiar with death”.
Due to the seemingly simple nature of “The future.is Now” it may seem as if there is no theme to the essay; however, Porter’s writing style possesses more meaning than what meets the eye. While the theme could easily be thought to address the discrepancies of war, in actuality, Porter is teaching to the readers a lesson about how society and human nature coincide. Through her writing, the author delivers to the reader a message of sincerity and insecurity, that it’s okay to be afraid, but why stop living.
While Porter’s “The future is Now” can be misinterpreted as an essay scrutinizing World War II, rather than a introspective article detailing human nature, it is an expertly written essay nonetheless. Through the use of her saddened and bittered tone, Porter delivers more than just some essay, but explains life and gives to the reader a valuable life lesson that is often overlooked in times of despair, or fear.
