“Whether one sees in John’s visions the destruction of the
whole world or the dark tunnel that propels each of us toward our own death,
his final vision suggests that even after the worst we can imagine has
happened, we may find the astonishing gift of new life.”
This quote
from Elaine Pagel’s article, “What Revelation Reveals,” points out the hopeful
nature of the end of apocalyptic myths. The 2008 animated film, WALL-E, includes an optimistic sentiment
throughout the film which expands at the end. WALL-E finds a single sign of
life on a seemingly lifeless earth and rescues mankind from its consumer
culture and excessive waste. The small plant he finds represents “the astonishing
gift of new life” that Pagel mentions in her article, and eventually leads to a
bright future for mankind back on earth.
In his
comic, “Apocalypse Left and Right: A Graphic Primer,” Dan Archer quotes end
time predictor, Jerry Falwell, as saying, “I believe in the pre-tribunal coming
of Christ for all of his church, and yes, I believe Jesus is coming a second
time and will be in the future.” Predictions of the end times by present day
religious fanatics such as Falwell tend to include this idea of a single person
who comes to save all those who are righteous. In WALL-E, WALL-E fills this role. The fate of the planet and its
former inhabitants fall upon him. Like the characters that fill this role in
other apocalyptic stories, WALL-E is on the fringe and viewed as irrelevant or
outdated. Although it is a lighthearted children’s movie, WALL-E, includes many characteristics of apocalyptic tales.
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