Slavery = Prisoners of War, Or Slavery ≠ Prisoners of War

The slavery of African-Americans cannot be compared to the slavery that was proposed in Lucifer’s Hammer after the Brotherhood had fallen. Some might say that slavery is slavery any way you slice it. I will argue that with the simplest of ease. The situation that occurred in the plot of this novel was extraordinary, catastrophic, and placed all of the citizens of the world in very desperate places. Riding waves till being hit by a 30-story building, dying in swaddling clothes and thrown out a car window, or even ending up being eaten by cannibals trying to take over; it’s very simple to see that after the comet hit everyone was in a hard situation, with very little option for survival. Darwin’s statement of ‘survival of the fittest’ has never been more relevant. That’s exactly what unfortunately needed to be done, survival, no matter what the cost—especially after cannibalism entered the equation.

After the battles and problematic World War III-like attacks on the Stronghold, as well as the Power Plant were over, the leaders of the Stronghold knew that something obviously needed to be done about their “prisoners of War”. While some proposed their mass murder, others imposed the possibility of using the Brotherhood prisoners as slaves, and then…there was Maureen.  Maureen proceeded casually when involved in this conversation with the men surrounding her world, but when she heard the idea of slavery, she was completely opposed to it! I find it slightly ironic that for a character who refers to herself as ‘The Princess’ several times within the novel; Maureen almost instantaneously changes modes and defends the people that would clearly not have thought twice about killing (and eating) her if they had the chance.  So why defend such a group of misguided new-world rejects? Could it be that Maureen may not be as selfish and misguided as we all originally read into?

Anyway, as to the reason why slavery cannot be compared to that of its African-American counterpart; The methodology and reasoning behind the Stronghold’s ideas for making the prisoners slaves was to benefit themselves. Maureen took a very diplomatic approach in saying that they will work, but they will be called “Prisoners of War”—let’s just call it what it really is… a happier name for slavery! Come on People! If you had taken prisoners captive who were trying to kill t you, would you let them go back to where they came from? Obviously not BECAUSE they would clearly come back and try and kill you again. But Maureen saw theses prisoners from a different angle, she saw that there was much work to be done, and that they would need a lot of help to accomplish it, therefore having the prisoners work to rebuild and make the Stronghold better than it was had a simple solution. Use the man power of those sick sadistic cannibals. So they’re help was needed. The Americans and the British didn’t need help; they were just lazy and wanted someone else whom they thought were dumber or more subservient do it for them.

The stronghold—despite calling them “prisoners of war”—used the imprisoned brotherhood to benefit themselves, and the many others that were to come in the near future to The New and improved-built-by-cannibals Stronghold! Maureen’s intentions were derived from the thoughts of not just herself, but for the common good of the Stronghold, and most certainly were not from her own, or the colonies torpid endeavors.  Bringing us to the safe conclusion that despite the fact that technically it was still considered slavery, Maureen retained—through her words and choice regarding the matter—the dignity and respect of the colony by calling the captives  “Prisoners of war” who would be work off their debts to the Stronghold… until they died.