Alas, Babylon Some people are born leaders. Of these people there are two groups: the ones who take their destiny seriously, and the ones who do not. Randy Bragg was one that did not. He spent his days getting drunk and lying on the sofa instead of reaching his full potential. This all changed when his family was under attack and his natural instincts kicked in. Pat Franklin, the author of Alas, Babylon, illustrates that individuals identities are influenced by internal and external forces as Randy Bragg evolves from a carefree bachelor to a worried family member and finally to a paternalistic leader throughout the course of the story. As the story begins, Randy Bragg’s carefree ways are depicted by him drinking alcoholic beverages before he had even eaten breakfast that morning. Randy has no job and no obligations. He lives in his late parents’ antique mansion in rural Florida. He lives alone and has no…show more content… As situations in the war become heated, the family of Randy Bragg’s brother arrives in Orlando and is taken to the rural town of Fort Repose, Early the next morning the family was awaken by a shaking house. They walked outside to see the city of Orlando engulfed in atomic flames. A bomb had been dropped. Randy thought to himself, “Today the rules had changed, just as Roman law gave way to atavistic barbarism as the empire fell to the Hun and Goth. Today a man saved himself and his family and to hell with everyone else”(Frank 98). The protective, paternal nature of Randy has now kicked in. He now struggles with an internal conflict of taking control and protecting his family like a father would. His military leadership skills come back again to give Randy a sense of bravery and purpose. Randy realizes through these internal conflicts he has become a stronger leader and a better man. Randy is now ready to take what is left of his life seriously and not waste
