# When the World Shook — Themes

> Major themes in When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard.

## Mortality and Immortality

The book explores the human fear of death and the desire for eternal life through the characters of Oro and Yva, who possess the Life-water and have lived for millennia, contrasting their prolonged existence with the natural human lifespan and the ultimate futility of seeking to escape death.

### Where it surfaces

- [IV: Death and Departure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/iv-death-and-departure): Natalie's death and Arbuthnot's struggle with loss; the question of an afterlife is central.
- [X: The Dwellers in the Tomb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/x-the-dwellers-in-the-tomb): The discovery of the preserved bodies in the tomb raises questions about death, preservation, and the possibility of immortality.
- [XI: Resurrection](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xi-resurrection): The resurrection of Oro and Yva challenges conventional understandings of death, as they are revived after an unknown but vast period of suspended animation.
- [XIII: Oro Speaks and Bastin Argues](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xiii-oro-speaks-and-bastin-argues): Oro's claim of extreme age and suspended animation challenges conventional human lifespans, while Yva's youth despite her age raises questions about time and mortality.
- [XIV: The Underworld](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xiv-the-underworld): The Water of Life postpones death for many years, and the underground city stands as a dead monument to a once-living civilization.
- [XV: Oro in His House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xv-oro-in-his-house): Oro admits he must die despite his age and wisdom, and seeks knowledge of eternal life from Bastin's religion.

## Clash of Beliefs

The narrative constantly pits the religious faith of Bastin against the scientific skepticism of Bickley, with Arbuthnot caught in between, using their debates on Christianity, ancient religions, and the supernatural to examine the nature of truth and belief.

### Where it surfaces

- [II: Bastin and Bickley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/ii-bastin-and-bickley): The chapter centers on the fundamental opposition between Bastin's unquestioning faith and Bickley's materialist skepticism, with Arbuthnot caught in between.
- [III: Natalie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/iii-natalie): Bastin and Bickley's argument over early Christians and missionaries exemplifies the ongoing conflict between religious faith and secular rationalism.
- [IV: Death and Departure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/iv-death-and-departure): Bastin's Christian faith versus Bickley's scientific materialism; differing interpretations of Natalie's final words.
- [V: The Cyclone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/v-the-cyclone): Bastin and Bickley's ongoing theological debates, with Bastin's faith and Bickley's scientific skepticism clashing over séances and planchette phenomena.
- [Land](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/vi-land): Bastin's attempt to convert the natives to Christianity clashes with their existing worship of Oro, and Bickley's scientific skepticism contrasts with both.
- [VII: The Orofenans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/vii-the-orofenans): Bastin's missionary efforts conflict with the native worship of Oro, leading to theological debates and growing jealousy from native priests.

## Love and Sacrifice

Arbuthnot's deep love for Yva transcends time and mortality, culminating in her ultimate sacrifice to save him and his friends, illustrating a love that is eternal and spiritual rather than merely physical or temporal.

### Where it surfaces

- [III: Natalie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/iii-natalie): Mrs. Bastin's obsessive love leads to her death, while Arbuthnot's first glimpse of Natalie hints at a transformative love.
- [IV: Death and Departure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/iv-death-and-departure): Arbuthnot's deep love for Natalie and his grief; her sacrifice in childbirth and her hopeful message.
- [XI: Resurrection](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xi-resurrection): Yva's immediate affection for Arbuthnot upon awakening and her willingness to protect the survivors against Oro's wrath suggest a deep, instinctual bond and sacrificial love.
- [Visions of the Past](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xvi-visions-of-the-past): Yva's past self loves the prince, leading to his death and her own sorrow; the theme echoes in the present as Yva looks at Arbuthnot.
- [XVIII: The Accident](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xviii-the-accident): Yva sacrifices her freedom by swearing never to leave Oro in order to save Arbuthnot's life.
- [XIX: The Proposals of Bastin and Bickley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xix-the-proposals-of-bastin-and-bickley): Bastin and Bickley both propose to Yva, sacrificing their pride and facing gentle refusal; Arbuthnot contemplates his own feelings.

## Power and Corruption

The ancient civilization of the Sons of Wisdom, led by Oro, demonstrates how absolute power and the hoarding of knowledge and life-extending secrets lead to jealousy, war, and eventual downfall, serving as a parable about the dangers of elitism and tyranny.

### Where it surfaces

- [I: Arbuthnot Describes Himself](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/i-arbuthnot-describes-himself): Arbuthnot discusses the power of money and his own wealth accumulation, questioning whether high finance is a suitable career for an upright man, hinting at the corrupting influence of speculation.
- [XIII: Oro Speaks and Bastin Argues](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xiii-oro-speaks-and-bastin-argues): Oro's admission that he destroyed the world because it was 'evil' and disobeyed him suggests a corrupting use of absolute power.
- [XV: Oro in His House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xv-oro-in-his-house): Oro describes how the Sons of Wisdom perished due to their isolation and inability to bear children, and hints at his ability to destroy the world again.
- [Visions of the Past](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xvi-visions-of-the-past): Oro's absolute power leads him to destroy entire nations rather than yield to demands, showing the corrupting influence of unchecked authority.
- [XVIII: The Accident](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xviii-the-accident): Oro's jealousy and willingness to let Arbuthnot die illustrate the corrupting influence of his immense power.
- [XIX: The Proposals of Bastin and Bickley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xix-the-proposals-of-bastin-and-bickley): Oro offers Arbuthnot dominion over the earth in exchange for Yva, echoing Satan's temptation; Arbuthnot reflects on the futility of ambition.

## The Search for Meaning

Arbuthnot's initial ennui and dissatisfaction with wealth and leisure drive him to seek purpose, a quest that leads to the discovery of ancient wisdom and a deeper understanding of life, death, and the soul beyond material existence.

### Where it surfaces

- [Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/dedication): Haggard invites Curzon to discern the parable's application to 'our state and possibilities,' suggesting a search for deeper meaning beneath the romance.
- [I: Arbuthnot Describes Himself](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/i-arbuthnot-describes-himself): Arbuthnot reflects on his father's failure to crack the shell of things and his own quest for the kernel that feeds the soul, emphasizing the search for spiritual truth beyond external forms.
- [II: Bastin and Bickley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/ii-bastin-and-bickley): Arbuthnot's restlessness and search for purpose, rejecting his friends' suggestions, underscores a personal quest for fulfillment beyond wealth and debate.
- [III: Natalie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/iii-natalie): Arbuthnot's spiritual quest in the East and his turn inward to his own soul reflect a deep search for wisdom and purpose.
- [V: The Cyclone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/v-the-cyclone): The planchette's cryptic prediction about 'most remarkable things' happening to the trio hints at a quest for deeper understanding, while Jacobsen's fearful reaction suggests hidden truths.
- [VIII: Bastin Attempts the Martyr's Crown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/viii-bastin-attempts-the-martyr-s-crown): Arbuthnot's obsession with the mysterious ruins and his astronomical observations reflect a quest for understanding the island's origins and his own place in the world.

## Reincarnation and the Soul

The story suggests that individual identity and love persist across lifetimes, as hinted by the resemblance between Arbuthnot's deceased wife and Yva, and by the mystical experiences that imply a continuity of the spirit beyond a single earthly existence.

### Where it surfaces

- [XII: Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Years!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xii-two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-years): Yva suggests her spirit may have lived elsewhere during the 250,000-year sleep, hinting at reincarnation.
- [Visions of the Past](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xvi-visions-of-the-past): The visions suggest a continuity of identity across ages, as Yva's past self mirrors her present self, hinting at the soul's persistence.
- [Yva Explains](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xvii-yva-explains): Yva hints that during her long sleep the 'I within' might have wandered and inhabited other shapes, suggesting a cycle of rebirth.

## Civilization and Barbarism

The book contrasts the highly advanced but morally decayed Sons of Wisdom with the 'barbarian' nations and even modern society, questioning what true civilization means and critiquing the brutality and superficiality of contemporary life, especially during war.

### Where it surfaces

- [Land](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/vi-land): The Europeans view the natives as primitive and cannibalistic, while the natives are initially awed by the strangers' apparent divine powers.
- [VII: The Orofenans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/vii-the-orofenans): The chapter contrasts European medical and religious practices with native customs such as cannibalism, infanticide, and sacrifice.
- [VIII: Bastin Attempts the Martyr's Crown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/viii-bastin-attempts-the-martyr-s-crown): The discovery of elegant carved stone and marble hand suggests a lost high civilization, contrasting with the 'savage' practices of the islanders.
- [IX: The Island in the Lake](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/ix-the-island-in-the-lake): The ancient ruins and advanced technology (flying machines) suggest a lost civilization, while the natives' superstitions and cannibalism represent barbarism.
- [XVIII: The Accident](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xviii-the-accident): The Sons of Wisdom's vegetarianism, advanced knowledge, and disdain for flesh-eating 'Barbarians' highlight the theme of civilized versus barbaric practices.
- [XX: Oro and Arbuthnot Travel by Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/when_the_world_shook_se/chapters/xx-oro-and-arbuthnot-travel-by-night): The chapter juxtaposes London's superficial civilization with the barbaric horrors of war, including massacres, crucifixions, and the bombing of civilians.

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