XI - The Nightmare Life Without Fuel

Unit - 3 

The Nightmare Life Without Fuel - Short Analysis

- Isaac Asimov

The essay, "The Nightmare Life Without Fuel" written by Isaac Asimov draws the picture of an ugly life due to the fuel crisis. The writer delivers a message to preserve the natural resources and to preserve different source of energy. The writer in this essay points out some advantages of the shortage of fuel which has been outnumbered by the disadvantages of the shortage of fuel. The essay by exposing an ugly picture of America alerts the whole world about the burning problem of the shortage of fuel.

The writer objectively points out some advantages of the shortage of fuel. According to the writer if there is no fuel the air will be fresh, people will walk on foot which enables them to become physically fit. Likewise, there will be less criminal activities, due to the shortage of fuel there will be no industry and machine. As a result there will be no weapons, if there is no weapons there will be no war and no death. Even the armies are gone.

The writer draws the attention of the readers towards the bad consequences of the shortage of fuel which make the life cold, dark and dirty. If there is no fuel there will be no transportation or no vehicles. Lack of facility of the transportation the agriculture is massively affected that will cause lack of proper food supply. In the absence of proper food supply the problem such as starvation and malnutrition occurs. The mothers are more affected with their small babies as a result there will be high chance for mother and infant mortality. Those who are alive they will be brain damage, handicapped and unhealthy. When the country becomes full of unhealthy citizens, such country can never be developed in the true sense of the terms.

According to the author, what will be the advantages of fuel crisis of 1997? The disadvantages?

>> Quite surprisingly, Isaac Asimov has counted some advantages of fuel crisis. He tells that the fuel crisis will make the air cleaner. As the result, less people will suffer from air-borne diseases. Crime rate will come down. The police would be present in their beats and people will be able to walk on the streets in late night.

However, if we look at above advantages carefully, we will find that they are actually the result of several disadvantages. The air will become pure due to our inability to drive vehicles or run factories. So the air will be cleaner only at the cost of human comfort. Similarly, the crime rate will be found low because of the lack of fuel. The people will be walking on the streets in late nights because they will be compelled to do so. They won't be able to afford vehicles even at the late nights or  in time of emergency. 
There are several other disadvantages of fuel crisis too. It will force the human to give up the use of ACs heaters and refrigerators. They will have to languish inside the dark, cold and cave like houses. They must need to work manually as they won't be able to run machines. In short, these disadvantages will force humans to live in a nightmarish hell like situation.

What specific problem does Asimov focus on this essay? Why does he consider this issue worth of attention?

>> Asimov focuses on the fuel crisis in this essay. He considers this issue worth attention because the amount of fuel is limited and it cannot fulfill the insatiable human demands forever. But human beings are using it ignoring its limitation. This trend might finish and might invite countless troubles for human beings. It is also a considerable issue because the time has come when we must look for some alternatives of fossil fuel. If other alternatives to produce energy are not found on time, the humans will be doomed to live a cursed life in future.

What does the author mean when he says,” the suburbs were born with auto, lived with the auto, and are dying with auto.”?

>> Suburbs are residential district situated on the outskirts of a city or town which are connected to the main town with the help of auto (transportation). The reason behind the establishment of such suburbs may be of the disinterest of people living in noisy and monotonous city life. Likewise, when the city becomes overcrowded then people shift to the suburbs areas. The people living in suburbs totally depend on the town for their requirement. But it can only be possible through the means of transportation. If the link between suburbs and the town is disconnected than the suburbs automatically disappeared. Thus, the writer is relevant to state that, “the suburbs were born with auto, live with auto, and are dying with the auto.”