Theodore Savage

Ada Cartwright

Ada is Theodore's devoted lover and later wife, sharing a deep emotional bond that endures through hardship.

Phillida Rathbone

Phillida is a former romantic interest of Theodore, with lingering tension and unresolved feelings between them.

Markham

Markham is a bitter antagonist to Theodore, often opposing him out of jealousy and personal vendetta.

Holt

Holt interacts with Theodore in a formal, duty-bound capacity, often as a messenger or enforcer.

Cassidy

Cassidy is a loyal friend and companion to Theodore, offering support in difficult times.

Lucifer

Lucifer is a symbolic or literal figure who torments Theodore, representing his inner demons or external manipulation.

Vallance

Theodore and Vallance are adversaries, clashing over ideology or personal grievances.

Young Hewlett

Young Hewlett is a younger ally or protégé of Theodore, sharing a bond of mutual respect.

Hercules

Hercules is a loyal animal companion or friend to Theodore, providing comfort and protection.

Meyer

Meyer is a minor antagonist to Theodore, opposing him in bureaucratic or personal matters.

Phillida Rathbone

Phillida is a former romantic interest of Theodore, with lingering tension and unresolved feelings between them.

Phillida Rathbone

Phillida is a former romantic interest of Theodore, with lingering tension and unresolved feelings between them.

I

Introduced as a young civil servant with a comfortable life, amateur interests in art and antiques, and a budding acquaintance with Phillida Rathbone.

II

Theodore is present at the gathering, initially absorbed in his own thoughts but briefly shaken by Markham's predictions. He later reflects on his courtship with Phillida and finally proposes.

III

Celebrates his betrothal to Phillida, but is troubled by Rathbone's warning of war and separation.

IV

Reflects on the chime and his childhood; separated from Phillida in the crowd; visits Markham and discusses war and science.

V

Theodore recalls the night of the first air raids and his subsequent experiences with the refugee crisis in York, witnessing the breakdown of order.

Chapter VI

Conscripted into special constabulary, becomes hardened to violence and misery, witnesses the destruction of York.

VII

Theodore experiences the destruction of his camp and becomes a vagabond, struggling with starvation and fear as civilization ends.

VIII

Theodore listens to the dying writer's philosophical reflections, recalling his past life and feeling the loss of his ability to love.

IX

Survives the winter in a dead town, participates in a grain-based community, flees after an attack, and is joined by a young woman.

Chapter X

Theodore takes on the role of provider and protector for Ada, leading their survival efforts and establishing a hidden camp in a valley.

XI

Explores beyond the camp, discovers a dead village, and continues to provide for Ada.

XII

Struggles with sexual desire for Ada, haunted by memory of Phillida, and ultimately yields to primitive instincts.

Chapter XIII

Struggles with pity and irritation toward Ada; attempts to educate her but fails; resorts to force to assert authority.

XIV

Reflects on Ada's psychological change under his authority; feels a mix of pity, affection, and frustration; is shocked by Ada's pregnancy and grapples with fear and a sense of duty.

XV

Undertakes a journey of exploration to find other humans, driven by Ada's pregnancy. He is captured by a group of men.

XVI

Captured by a tribe, pleads for his life and for help for Ada and their child.

The Trial of Theodore Savage

Theodore is the prisoner on trial, questioned about his past and forced to confess his ignorance of science and engineering.

XVIII

Theodore is the protagonist who is now accepted into the tribe but remains a prisoner in spirit. He grapples with the tribe's rejection of knowledge and secretly hopes for the return of civilization.

XIX

Undergoes the formal acceptance ceremony, swears oaths of loyalty and renunciation of knowledge, and begins building a hut for himself and Ada.

Chapter XX

Returns to Ada, guides her to the tribe, explores the ruined town, and enforces the tribe's prohibitions.

The Birth of a New Generation

Becomes a father and is tied to the tribe; reflects on the birth of mythology and the cycle of history as his children grow.

Chapter XXII

Remarries a younger woman for practical reasons; reflects on his loss of civilized identity and adapts to tribal life; asserts property over Ada after her flirtation.

XXIII

Aged patriarch living a dual life of primitive labor and vivid memories of the past; feared and revered as the last link to the lost civilization.