TOW #2 - Text

Katherine Anne Porter, author of The Future is Now, writes about her experiences in the post-WWII era during the 1950s. The Cold War, which occurred from the late 1940s until the early 1990s, dominated the way that Americans lived. The military doctrine known as "mutually assured destruction" first applied to the Cold War and stated that both the attacker(s) and defender(s) would be completely annihilated in the full-scale use of weapons of mass destruction. This doctrine controlled American lifestyle and shaped their view on the world. Though they were almost forced to live in constant fear of a preemptive nuclear strike from the U.S.S.R., Porter shows the reader a new perspective on life.
She starts her essay with the use of an anecdote to establish her ethos as well as bring forward her view on the use of weapons of mass destruction. As Porter inquires into the procedure of retreating to safety in the event of a bombing, she realizes that "the only real safety seems to lie in simply being somewhere else at the time." (Porter 1). Even though it is such a grim fact, she takes it that there is nothing she can do to increase her chances of survival of a bombing but to refocus on just simply living her life. Porter proves this point further when she describes looking out of her window. She sees a man polishing a table of his, perfecting this seemingly useless object. However, she comes to the realization that "he was not preparing a possible shelter... he is doing something he feels is worth doing now, and that is no small thing." (Porter 3). This extended metaphor ultimately points to the fact that people should cherish the present for what it is instead of being anxious of the future.
I believe that Porter's use of anecdotes and extended metaphors are highly effective in proving her point that the future should not be worried about, and that the present should be focused on. She not only supports it through emotional appeal, but also connects to it on a personal level.