One of the major themes in the novel is the conflict between morality and necessity. For example, Bill goes out of his way, even endangering himself, so that he can help the blind. He assists them when he can because his actions are dictated by his belief that human beings, human life, and human dignity, regardless of the condition they’re in and regardless of the situation, are worth upholding and preserving. Beadley, on the other hand, is the opposite. He sees survival, his personal survival in particular, as the highest objective and this must be achieved through any means and at any cost.
Write a paper in which you make a case for how the novel ultimately stands on the issue of morality vs. necessity. To what extent does the concerns of the group matter, vs that of the individual, or even all mankind? Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” could arguably be used in this paper as well, since the Prince’s group has sequestered itself in a castle, away from the red death in the world.