Nothing to Do in So Much Time

A Reaction on “Time Enough At Last”

If given a chance, I would do everything I want to do without being conscious about time.  This is what Henry Bemis also hoped for. Henry Bemis is a bank teller who was reprimanded by the bank president due to his lack of responsibility during work. He is an avid bookworm who reads books even working with a client. His wife also complains about his addiction to reading. And because of that, she never let Bemis read at home. She even played a prank on him by scribbling on the pages of one of the books of Bemis.

Because of lack of time on reading, Bemis makes time for reading during his lunch break in a bank vault so no one would disturb him. One time, when he did this particular routine, an explosion happened and he was knocked unconscious. After he regained consciousness, he went out the vault and saw the total destruction. At first he seemed alright even if he is the only one survived. But loneliness entered his system and decided to commit suicide. Before pulling the trigger of a revolver he found, he saw the sign of a public library. Because of this, his world became alive again. He started sorting the books according to when he would read each of them. But his life shattered again when his reading glasses fell and broke.

This scenario is not only applicable during 1950s, which is the time when this series was shown. This situation could also be seen nowadays with some alteration on details. Henry Bemis is the counterpart of the modern teenagers who are addicted to gadgets and technology. And a few hours blackout may seem like a total destruction caused by a bomb for teenagers who would not be able to charge their gadgets. One similarity of Henry Bemis and modern day teenagers is their coping with aloneness. They just have different approach: Bemis would dive into his books while teenagers would surf the net and connect with friends. These modern day counterparts could be used for an adaptation of the series.