What is your biggest hope for the near future? (Think of the excitement caused by the electrical grid in Station Eleven or the promise of Bankole’s land and an Earthseed community in Parable.)

Station Eleven by by Emily St. John Mandel

weaves together the story of two worlds: the old world and the new–separated by the apocalyptic devastation of the Georgian flu. Parable of the Sower dramatizes the journey from the old to the new: from the relative safety of a walled community, parents, and home to the unknown but hopeful future of a simple life and inspiring religion.

You too are leaving one world and entering another, separated not by apocalypse or social collapse but by Commencement next Sunday. In a page or two, respond to the questions below, in any order. (Consider organizing your piece into three paragraphs.) Feel free to interpret these questions personally and loosely.

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What will you be sure to carry with you from the old to the new? Why? (Think of Lauren’s notebooks and seeds, Kirsten’s copy of Station Eleven, or Clark’s museum of civilization.)

What is your biggest hope for the near future? (Think of the excitement caused by the electrical grid in Station Eleven or the promise of Bankole’s land and an Earthseed community in Parable.)