The Postman by David Brin
"The Postman" is a science fiction narrative exploring themes of survival, hope, and the human condition in a post-apocalyptic setting. The story follows Gordon Krantz, an idealistic wanderer who becomes a makeshift mail carrier after discovering an abandoned postal jeep. As he dons the postal uniform, he inadvertently becomes a symbol of hope for the desperate villagers he encounters, while simultaneously grappling with the moral implications of his deception. Alongside Krantz are Dena Spurgen, a determined feminist leader battling survivalists, and George Powhatan, an old farmer-warrior who ultimately confronts his own responsibilities. The plot is divided into four parts, highlighting the struggles faced by the characters against a backdrop of brutality and longing for civilization. Throughout their journey, the characters confront personal truths about leadership and the consequences of their choices. The resolution emphasizes the themes of hope, responsibility, and the necessity of carrying burdens for the sake of ideals. This engaging story delves into the complexities of human relationships and the quest for meaning amidst chaos.
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Subject Terms
The Postman
First published: 1985
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—post-holocaust
Time of work: The early twenty-first century
Locale: Villages in Oregon
The Plot
Five descriptions of the life-and-death struggle for survival between Earth and Ocean introduce and divide this four-part story concerning the parallel human struggle. The first two of the four parts appeared earlier in slightly different form, “The Postman” in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine in November of 1982 and “The Cyclops” in the same publication in March of 1984.
Three characters—Gordon Krantz, Dena Spurgen, and George Powhatan—struggle against a survivalist named General Macklin. The central character, Krantz, is an idealistic wanderer who performs plays in villages of Oregon and yearns for someone to take responsibility for restoring civilization in a land of disease, hunger, brutality, and desperation. After bandits steal his possessions, Krantz finds an abandoned postal service jeep with the skeleton of the postal carrier in it. Seeking warmth during the night, Krantz shelters inside the jeep. In the morning, he borrows the postman’s clothing and a bag of letters as aids to survival.
The postal uniform, symbolizing reborn hope, initiates plot actions. Villagers fantasize that Krantz is a real mail carrier, a hero who can create new life. Unwilling to disillusion them, Krantz sells his scam for a restored America by playing the role of postal courier and federal inspector. Moving constantly to keep his hoax believable, he encounters various extremes of cruelty, apathy, fear, guilt, and love among people and local governments. In each town, Gordon’s personal meditations underline the way his deception modifies behavior and attracts followers. These reflections repeat his queries about the responsibility for leadership and for self-understanding of his lies.
Dena Spurgen, a feminist, works for Cyclops, a supercomputer myth. Later, she leads female Army scouts battling survivalists who want to take over the Willamette Valley. Spurgen’s belief that women’s lack of responsibility caused the holocaust generates a scheme to infiltrate and murder survivalists. Although their plan fails, the heroic deaths and defeat of the women create a widespread legend crucial to eventual success. Pressure by the women of his territory after they learn of the tragedy finally shames George Powhatan, an old farmer-warrior, into entering the conflict despite his earlier refusals to accept involvement and responsibility.
The resolution reveals three final truths. First, Krantz faces his lies and realizes that he needed the hope his fairy tales gave him; without them he could not have survived. Second, General Macklin learns that he is not the last living, super-strength warrior. The government’s augmentation project was changed, not terminated. Powhatan reveals that he, too, is augmented. In the death battle between the two giants, Powhatan’s more powerful implants decide the winner. Third, Powhatan and Krantz both realize that responsibilities for ideals cannot be laid down; the burdens must be carried by those willing to pay the price.