Lopez 1

Alexa Lopez Prof. Stephen Topf English 114B Final Draft Society has always valued looking young; even hundreds of years ago there were home remedies that use to be used in order to take care of the skin and body. However there were very few medical advancements that occurred during those periods that allowed people to get pass the age of 30, if lucky enough even to the age of 40. The Average life expectancy has been increasing over the centuries, according to the Central Intelligence Agency website the average life expectancy today has raised to the average age of 68. Even with all these studies and researches in science and modern medicine humans have been not been successful in finding a cure for aging. The thought of staying young forever is seen in todays society as very appealing with the idea that one may live to see wondrous, new and exciting things. However, in the novel The Postmortal by Drew Magary the cure for aging and having the ability to live longer is in fact something that should have never been created, it brings nothing but sadness, disappointment and death. The Postmortal depicts a pre-apocalyptic world in the year 2019 where a cure for aging has been accidentally discovered by a man named Graham Otto who was looking for a way to color hair through gene therapy (Magary, 47). With the news that a cure for death has been created many people set out to find a way to get it whether it means risking their lives and flying across the world.

Lopez 2

Humans have always been afraid to accept death, as well as aging. One of the main reasons that humans are afraid to age is due to the fact that aging reminds us of death. Mainstream culture in the contemporary Western world is very youth-oriented, which may make it difficult for many older individuals to shift away from the standards through which they previously attained self-esteem. (Maxfield, 2) We have started coming up with ways to help fight the sign of aging with products such as injections, surgery, creams, make-up, cleanser, exercise, serums and even food. Living a healthy lifestyle by exercising, eating right, and getting plenty of rest is another popular method. Nevertheless, this proves to be not enough so Antiaging products have begun coming out, all claiming to be able to help reverse signs of aging and produce younger looking skin. In fact, we have already begun looking into ways to prevent the aging process. In an article by CNN entitled How Google's Calico aims to fight aging and 'solve death' google has created a company Calico, which is fighting to find a cure for aging and diseases. Calico has been researching in many different fields in order to find a method that may actually work. They have been doing research in cryonics, cryotherapy, self-healing worms and even into cloning. In the article Can a jellyfish unlock the secret of immortality by the New York Times it discusses the discovery of a jellyfish called Turritopsis dohrnii or better known as the immortal jellyfish. It appeared to age in reverse, growing younger and younger until it reached its earliest stage of development, at which point it began its life cycle anew. (Rich) With the discovery of this jellyfish we have begun to test it to try and see if we can truly find the specific gene that allows the jellyfish to begin life a new from its earliest stage of life.

Lopez 3

Joo Pedro de Magalhes, a Portuguese biologist who leads the Integrative Genomics of Aging group at the University of Liverpool, agrees: "From what I've read, I don't think the company will mostly focus on cancer (McNicoll, CNN). Though they are mainly focused in anti-aging and cancer the cure for aging may come from anywhere unexpectedly. This is similar to what happened to Graham Otto when searching for a way to change his natural hair color from being red to a completely different color. Despite the fact that the cure has been created in the novel, receiving it has been one of the most difficult situations for the characters due to its ban that has been preventing those who want it to get it, and as well as those who have received it to come out openly and admit it. Otto along with the president decided to make the cure unavailable and ban it, Thats why I agreed with the presidents decision to ban it. I was glad someone was willing to take a step back and declare that we needed to know everything about this treatment (Magary, 52). Even though it was not available in the U.S. other countries have made it legal to receive the cure, causing many people to travel to different parts of the world just to get it. This is when the cure for aging has brought out contradicting results to what was believed it could do for society and everyone. At first everyone travels to Brazil to receive the cure since it is the only known closest place that it can be received at. While others only heard of being able to receive the cure from a different country a lawyer named John was able to receive his due to a colleague at his work. Johns reason for wanting the cure for aging is explained when being interviewed by the doctor, You got me. I dont want to die. Im terrified of death. I fear theres nothing beyond it and that this existence is the only one Ill ever possess (Magary, 8)

Lopez 4

Katy, who is Johns roommate and best friend finds out about him going to see the cure and immediately wants to know where John had received it in order for her to be able to Live forever and stay as young as she is now. Thats why they all come here. Even the ones that believes in heaven and the seventy two virgins and every other good thing supposedly waiting for them in the afterlife (Magary, 8) Before Katy could get her cure things started to change in society, as more and more people found out about the cure the more people there were who are against receiving the cure. Halfway through the book many changes begin to arise, with the sudden bombing of an apartment complex two sides will begin to form. Many riots, bombings, and even killing begin to arise for many different reasons for both sides. Some are killing due to the fact that they believe that getting the cure is a slap on the face to God or death. I dont enjoy thinking about death, which is one of the reasons why I wanted the cure in the first place. Now I seem to be obsessing over it. The irony in it is infuriating (Magary, 19) One of the main anti-supporters of the cure is the pope and the church who believe that Death is the only thing keeping us in line (Magary, 13). What the quote is trying to signify is the fact that when death and aging were inevitable it was important to go to school, get a job, have a family and get married and settled down. Death has kept us from doing certain things such as dropping everything and becoming party animals due to the fact that we only have a short lifetime and what most people want when death is inevitable is to have a family and a good education/job. With the anti-supporters fighting, and rioting in order to prevent the cure from becoming legal and the supporters of the cure fighting to get it legalized to stop all these bomb attacks and

Lopez 5

threats the city is in panic and fear. Many are afraid to be out in public for the fear of being attacked. Hundreds die every week due to bombings and murder sprees. The president finally ended up legalizing the cure hoping it would finally stop all the killings that have been happening ever since the cure has been created. Despite all his best efforts to keep it banned until society was ready the president could no longer prolong its legalization. As the novel progresses to the end and the cure is finally legal there begins to be a rapid increase in murders/suicides all throughout the world. End specialist begin forming and growing as resources are beginning to run out, and there is an increase in the lack of education/jobs and of money for society to continue to support itself. Marriages as well love is no longer being celebrated or created due to the thought of being stuck with the same person for hundreds of years has caused them to rethink their vow Till death do us part. More and more people are hiring end specialist to help them end their life due to the fact that are finally growing tired of living or have realized that it is not as great as they thought it would be. Many received it as a way to stay young forever since the cure freezes the aging process. Humans have always been afraid to accept death, as well as aging. One of the main reasons that humans are afraid to age is due to the fact that aging reminds us of death. In the novel The Postmortal this is clearly shown, it begins with a society who is afraid of death. They begin to come up with ways to stop the aging process and finally succeed after an accidental experiment. I believe that as the years have gone by this cure has allowed people to be more accepting of the idea of death and not be afraid by the thought of dying. Although they physically still appear to be the same age from the moment they received the cure they have become more accepting of death due to this cure. Their bodies may have

Lopez 6

remained the same throughout all these years but their minds have continued to grow. They have seen what society has become; they have lived to witness many tragedies as well as new medical advancements. Adding an extra 60 years to their lives I believe that they had time to ponder over the idea of finally saying goodbye to this world. There is no cure for death, even if everyone is calling it that. Its merely a cure for aging (Magary, 9). This quote in my opinion is the most important things in this book, although this book is about a cure for aging it has become connected with death. In this book one simply cannot come without the other, they work hand in hand. Throughout this novel and all the research I have done I believe it has changed my opinion and thought of aging. Although aging and death are two of the worst things to think about at any age, this novel has allowed me to reconsider whether finding a cure is really worth all the death, poverty, destruction that is bound to come with it. Aging is just a natural part of life that one may be able to delay, however not avoid. Despite having the ability to live and appear to look at a certain age it appears to be the mind that finally decided to move on, not the body. Aging, despite the fact that it plays a part death does not solely determine when one is ready to die. The brain and soul of a person play so much a part in this whole process. If one has the ability to live at an age that still comes with many health benefits, but the person does not take care of themselves and their health then it was not age that took them in the end but their own lack of care for their body. After all the reason that humans are so afraid to age that they take extra percaution is due to the fact that aging reminds us of death.

Lopez 7

Works Cited
Jacobsen, Michael, Hviid, and Douglas, J. Davies. "Sociology, Mortality and Solidarity. An Interview with Zygmunt Bauman on Death, Dying and Immortality." Mortality 16.4 (2011): 380-393. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

Magary, Drew. The Postmortal: A Novel. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print

Maxfield, Molly, et al. "Age-Related Differences In Responses to Thoughts of One's Own Death: Mortality Salience and Judgments of Moral Transgressions." Psychology And Aging 22.2 (2007): 341-353. PsycARTICLES. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

McNicoll, Arion. "How Google's Calico Aims to Fight Aging and 'solve Death'" CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

Rich, Nathaniel. "Can a Jellyfish Unlock the Secret of Immortality?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Dec. 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. "The World Fact book." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.p. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.