Without apocalypsis there cannot be change, without change then time itself would cease to pass.   Apocalypsis is the human capacity for change, for revelation, to open the door into a new understanding.   Ultimate Truth is unreachable to the human mind but it is the search for it that has enabled humanity to build godlike technology and ponder the secrets of the universe.

Without apocalypsis we could have no such paradigm shifts.  We would have remained in the dark of primitive man, unable to change our perceptions.  The search for something better, just at the edge of our perceptions so that the moment we turn it vanishes.  It does not seem to be a search for happiness, such a thing does not capture the complexity of human desire.   The search for the answer to what this thing that the soul desires is, that is what defines apocalypsis. 
In the words of Lloyd Alexander, “Sometimes it’s not the finding, but the seeking that counts.”

In the course of our class’s discussions on apocalypse we have altered our understanding of the semantics of the word.   We initially viewed in a more nihilistic sense, a time of endings and destruction.  Now we have moved towards the root of apocalypse, the Greek word apocalypsis.   Apocalypsis is not synonymous with the modern definition of apocalypse but rather a revelation or unveiling.   I find this to be a far more interesting definition of apocalypse as it allows for far deeper analysis into the “Human condition.”   By the Human condition I mean the fundamental aspects that differentiate an individual capable of both emotions and rational thought. 

We have progressed into Neil Gaiman’s third collection of graphic novels centered on the character of the Sandman more frequently referred to as Dream within the novels.   Within this collection of stories we see the emergence of “humanity” within Dream. 
In “Calliope”, the first story within the collection Dream Country, we have a chance to observe Dream showing his newfound humanity in his wrath towards Richard Madoc at his cruelty towards the muse Calliope.  Dream does not act as a keeper of justice when he brings his wrath upon Madoc.  His actions come from emotion, not rationality which distinguishes him from some concepts of superior beings or deities.   As one of the Endless he is eternal, but for his vast span of existence he is revealed to have developed human characteristics such as wrath, empathy (to a seemingly limited extent), and loneliness.

In “A Dream of a Thousand Cats” we are treated to a different form of apocalypsis that serves more than one individual.   Within this story Dream takes on the role of the prophet or soothsayer in regards to the story.   Dream in the guise of a cat reveals to a feline that seeks his guidance in finding justice and revelation.  Dream grants this to her and she returns to the world to spread her revelation amongst all the cats of the world.

In Gaiman’s story entitled “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” which features the play of William Shakespeare of the same name shows yet another form of apocalypsis that I find intriguing.  It is not so much a revelation or unveiling it is the closing of the door.   The exit of the Faerie folk from the world is this strange closure of an era that I am unable to describe easily.  I guess I must use the analogy of a play, the Faerie folk’s role in the story of this world is over and the curtain closes as they exit.  Yet despite their absence the show goes on.

Last of the stories in Dream Country is “Façade.”  To me this story focuses on the role of Death as a benevolent character, and differentiating death and oblivion within Gaiman’s stories.   The subject of perception and the uncovering of layers that mask reality is also incorporated, this presents an interesting discussion point because revelation seems to be synonymous with an alteration of perceptions.  
But I am drawn in by the words spoken by the character Death.  “When the first living thing existed I was there waiting.   When the last living thing dies my job will be finished.”   I’ll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave.”   This is the manner in which Death explains her role in the universe, not as a destroyer but as a necessity of existence.   She states she is not merciful but then she shows mercy on Raine helping her to end her torment through death, which in Death’s view is just pulling aside the curtain and stepping into a new existence.

In our discussion of apocalypse moved from a focus on the society of humanity to a focus on the individual and their transformation.  
The graphic novels in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series have been the catalyst for this change.  The development of human characteristics in the abstract concept of Dream has served to let us see the development of a character from an abstraction.  A completely anthropomorphized abstraction developed through the novel shows the achievement of identity by Dream.  Through this process I have begun to develop an understanding in how Dream achieves the various emotions that define an individual.
We are introduced to Dream when he is in the clutches of passion and by extension his sibling Passion.  We see him act selfishly, damning the woman who spurns his love.  His passion is his undoing in this scene and from here there seems to be a regression as he loses his more humanlike emotions.  
Then we move forward ten thousand years.  After his escape from imprisonment he seeks to rebuild his realm of the dream world.   Events conspire to pull him away from his labors and we see him once again display his potential. 
He seeks out the rogue dreams that left his realm, the way and why he destroys the first three dreams that left his realm has two sides.  One of which is the necessity for the action to be carried out.  The other is his wrath at finding the dreams manipulating humans for their sadistic pleasure or desire for power.  He does not just destroy these first three rogue dreams because of their transgressions.  Dream annihilates them because they caused suffering among others and he empathizes with the victims.   When Dream meets the fourth of the rogue dreams he does not show anger over the dream’s choice to leave the realm of the dreaming.  He shows forgiveness.  This seems to indicate that he understands Fiddler’s Green desire to venture among the realm of the living and experience the human condition.
As the story continues we learn of the obligation Dream has to destroy Rose Kinkade to protect all those among the dreaming.   He regrets the necessity, clearly showing his own feelings of guilt regarding the circumstances.  But with the intervention of Unity Kinkade he seems to bend the rules in order to spare Rose’s life.  
An aside within this collection of periodical comic books is an interaction between Dream’s close sister, Death, and a human who believes he can live forever by denying death.  Dream’s sister grants the mortal’s request seemingly for her brother’s sake.  And as the tale continues the human makes the observation that the reason why Dream is interested in his life is because Dream is lonely.  That human identifies the tragedy of the Endless in how they will outlive all others but their siblings and the loss they must feel at the passing of any mortal in whom they develop a connection with.

Neil Gaiman tears the concept of reality apart with his graphic novels focusing on the character of Dream.   Turning dreams into an entity is such a vast undertaking, and Gaiman did it by building on an existing character from DC comics.   Gaiman is supported in his storytelling by artists like Dave Mckean, a brilliant artist who I own several other comic books he contributed too.   Now I plunge into my discordant thoughts on the first collection of periodicals “The Doll’s House.”

Dreams are not empirically True, they are true within the entity that creates them alone.   As long as that consciousness defines their reality by their dreams that is what is real.  The abstraction of Dream is projected onto the character of the Sandman also known as Morpheus, Kai’Khul, the Dream Cat, and Onerion.   His appearance changes often according to who is dreaming, but Dream is given one form he commonly uses which looks a lot like David Bowie in the movie Labyrinth.   Eighties fashion aside the Character of Dream is mysterious, eternal but not unchanging, beyond the scope of the human mind, and according to Dream he was born when the world was born.  Not with the beginnings of humanity.  Dream is not alone, he has five siblings, one of which is the prodigal brother and his fate is unknown.  This mystery is almost a character in itself, is this other brother The Unknowable?  

Another brother is Destiny, the character is portrayed strangely with less influence than the characters of the Three Fates.  Destiny himself cannot change or interfere with fate he only takes an action after he reads that it is necessary for him to do so.  He is the holder of the book in which the potential futures are written.  This reminds me of the way the Book of Three is explained in “The Black Cauldron” series by Lloyd Alexander.  These books tell what may come to pass, not the future but the potential futures subjected to individual choice. 
Another sibling of Dream is Death, who manifests as a man or woman depending on the situation.  Death has a realm of its own much like Dream.  We don’t have a chance to look specifically into its domain although we see Hell, or a version of Hell as we are uncertain of the reality that is being created.   Death is not evil, I would say it is portrayed as more empathetic than Dream.  Death has an experience that Dream might not, has Death experienced death?   If so does that grant it an insight that leads it to tell Dream that he was wrong to send Nada who rejected his love to hell?   
Desire and Despair are the last two siblings and they are twins.  For despair cannot exist without a desire.   This leads to Desire being the more powerful of the two it seems.   Desire seeks to achieve or to change existence.   This is different from the way Dream creates and transforms.  Dream is more unpredictable, suitable for such an abstract changing concept.   

Dream is not limited to the realm of sleep.  He ventures into the corporeal world on occasion as do his creations.  The Fiddler’s Green is a dream created by Morpheus, it takes on a human form and comes to Earth as the man Gilbert.   Gilbert does this while Morpheus is trapped by human sorcery.   This furthers the idea that the abstractions Dream creates or not unchanging.  The abstractions Dream creates have choices unto them selves, Gilbert eventually chooses to return with Morpheus. 

A complicated piece to this story is the rejection of empiric Truth.  No one can be sure of what is real only what they choose to be real.   But even for this Dream is the ultimate arbitrator who enforces rules as he sees fit.  But this is an interesting point because it seems that Morpheus only intercedes when the stability of the dream world is threatened.  The dreamers and their dreams must be protected to ensure their continuation.  

The Doll’s House closes with the human family which drives one of the plots of the story achieving a sort of catharsis.  Dream’s timely intervention which results in the family becoming reunited does not show emotional depth.  We are left with the feeling that he has not reached his potential yet.  But being that he is one of the Endless we know that he has time to do so.

From the working definition of “apocalypse” we have developed in class gives me a starting point for separating the “causes” and “symptoms” of apocalypse.   Within the novels Oryx and Crake and The Children of Men the cause of apocalypse is broad and encompasses all of humanity.
The cause of an apocalypse presages the symptoms, like a pathogen infecting the body.   In The Children of Men Theo relates how the degradation of society predated the Omega generation and the loss of fertility.  The loss of passion in “humanity” began the sequence that led to the apocalyptic events and is thus the cause of the apocalypse in The Children of Men. 
The loss of fertility in humanity was the greatest empiric symptom of the apocalypse.  Theo also talks about the riots, mass suicides like the quietus, and madness such as treating dolls like they are their biological children.  These are symptoms of the apocalypse in The Children of Men. 

In Oryx and Crake the biological plague that wipes out humanity differs from the loss of fertility in The Children of Men in that one is deliberately created by Man and the other is an anomaly.  This creates a tremendous difference in the way we can look at the cause and effect of the Crakian apocalypse. 
The apocalypse of Oryx and Crake is caused by the rampant indulgence of vices in society.   The corruption causes the reaction in Crake that leads him to destroy humanity.  Another contributing cause is the biological engineering that humanity indulged in.  It contributed to humanities self serving instincts and enabled Crake to so effectively destroy humanity.  
The symptoms of the Crakian apocalypse were violent and relatively brief compared to The Children of Men.   The Red Plague was not the only element in the extinction of humanity.  Crake was aware that humanity in its fear would tear itself to pieces.   The panic would be as effective as the Red Plague to drive humanity into extinction.  The symptoms provided the opening for a re-birth of humanity through the Children of Crake.

While reading Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake I was fascinated by the dark satire the author present’s in an almost light hearted manner.  Essentially a story of the corruption of mankind and the results of Homo Sapiens degradation.  The story is told through the eyes of Snowman and his recollections of his earlier life when he was known as Jimmy. 
The memories of Snowman show us the levels to which human society had fallen.  Untamed indulgences in vices and what seems to be a loss or weakening of humanities ability to empathize are the source for humanities corruption and eventual destruction. 
In the recollections of Snowman we see virtually every vice humanity has been able to invent taken to its greatest potential. 
Humanities unfettered indulgence in its vices leads to alienation between individuals and classes.  In this futuristic society the rich live within their sequestered compounds out of sight of the pleebian classes. We learn of the different worlds of the pleebian and compound individuals through Jimmy’s interactions with Oryx.  She relates her abuse at the hands of the privileged without bitterness, even acceptance that the horrors she experienced have brought her to a better place.  But through her story we see strong parallels to our modern world in which the exact same story as she relates is genuinely played out in the poorest parts of the world. 

In the compounds we learn of the deliberate genocide by pharmaceutical companies to create a demand for new drugs.  The rich who are far removed from these tragedies seek to prolong their lives.  With spare body parts which are grown from animals called Pigoons and numerous treatments which are marketed as restoring youth.

The sharp divide between the life in the compounds and that of the pleebs is a symptom, not the cause of what will eventually lead to the decision by one individual to end the reign of humanity and begin a new post-human race.  

Through the journal entries of Theo in The Children of Men we are provided with an in-universe perspective of the change in humanities spirit in P.D. James grim vision of the future. 

Through Theo’s eyes passion has died in the face of modernity and disillusionment.  Presaging the loss of man’s ability to reproduce he witnessed the slow death of the great ocean that is humanities ability to feel.  But feel what?  The sensations of the flesh?   No, but Theo saw the loss of desire even before the Omega generation was conceived.  The drives of the body are co-morbid with the state of the mind.  So the root of the moratorium of humanities spirit must be elsewhere. 
The answer I believe is in the loss of not just the ability to love, but the ability to feel with passion.  Humanity did not lose just one hue of the spectrum of passions.  Humanity lost all of them.  There is no great war.  There is no longer place for the youth, the Omega’s, to prove their strength.  Passionate love and hate, fear and courage, these things are gone.   In their place what is left?  Nothing.  Moratorium of the spirit overtook humanity even before Omega in Theo's eyes.