Analysis

The Extinction of Mankind

The video game, The Last of Us, is set in a future where a fungal infection has turned most of the population into mindless zombies. It’s a story of survival, but if examined closely it’s also an accurate representation of basic human instinct. It accurately shows what humans are willing to do to survive. It accurately shows the strength of the bonds we form with the people we love. It poses a very interesting question. If Humanity was on the brink of extinction do we deserve to be saved?’

            The story follows Joel and Ellie as they travel across a post-pandemic United States. Along the way they encounter other survivors, some friendly and some not friendly. While in Pittsburgh they encounter a group of “hunters” that kill people that pass through and take their supplies. While in the Rocky Mountains they encounter another group of survivors that has resorted to killing and eating people that pass through. David, the leader of the group of cannibals, says, “You kill to survive. We have to take care of our own. By any means necessary.” This shows that humans will do anything to survive making them not much different than any other animal.

            The reason for Joel and Ellie traveling across the United States is to deliver Ellie, who has immunity to the fungal infection, to a group of doctors trying to find a cure. When they begin their journey Joel thinks Ellie is an immature, little brat, and Ellie thinks Joel is a mean, old man. As they survive together against zombies and hostile survivors a bond begins to form. When Joel is injured and Ellie nurses him back to health their bond becomes stronger. When Joel saves Ellie when she is taken by the group of cannibals their bond becomes even stronger, and Joel starts to think of Ellie as a daughter. When they arrive at the hospital Ellie is immediately rushed into surgery, and the doctors tell Joel that they have to remove her brain to possibly find a cure. When told this Joel fights his way to her, and rescues her while she is still under anesthesia. When she wakes up after, and she asks what happened and Joel says, “Turns out, there’s a whole lot more like you, Ellie. People that are immune. It’s dozens actually. Ain’t done a damn bit of good neither. They’ve stopped looking for the cure.” By rescuing Ellie from the doctors he may have doomed humans to extinction, and he lies to her so he alone is to blame for the potential destruction of Humanity. This shows that people will do anything for those they love, and are controlled by their emotions.

            The prologue of the story shows how people reacted during the initial outbreaks. There was mass panic, and many people tried to flee from the cities including Joel and his daughter, Sarah. At the same time that Joel and Sarah were fleeing the city the military was quarantining the affected cities, and a soldier trying to keep them in the city shot and killed Sarah. So when Joel saved Ellie from the doctors and potentially dooms humans to extinction maybe Humanity got what it deserved. In Joel’s mind if Humanity killed Sarah, and is willing to sacrifice Ellie to save itself it doesn’t deserve to be saved. I would be inclined to agree with him.

            The Last of Us is the story of Joel and Ellie’s survival, but Humanity’s downfall. Humans are a violent species that will do anything to survive. We will kill, cannibalize, and sacrifice our own children. Our “any means necessary” attitude will lead us to our doom.

 

Works Cited

Naughty Dog. The Last of Us. Sony Computer Entertainment. 2013. Playstation 3.