The Fixed Period

"The Fixed Period" by Anthony Trollope is a satirical story that occurs in Britannula, a made-up colony, which is dealing with the idea of a system called the Fixed Period, where people are required to die when they reach a specific age; the purpose of this system is decrease the difficulties of old age for everyone. The story follows John Neverbend, a supporter of this system, and Gabriel Crasweller, who is the first person scheduled to go through with this arranged death, which brings up questions for people about morals and society and how they influence one another. The beginning of the book describes the rules of the Fixed Period and shows the relationships that people have with one another in Britannula. The story shows how enthusiastic Neverbend is, and how he strongly believes in the Fixed Period. As Crasweller's time comes closer and closer, problems start to happen involving personal wants, family loyalty, and the rules. The younger people, Jack Neverbend and Eva Crasweller, don't like the system and push back due to their feelings for Gabriel, which shows a conflict between new ideas and how important life is. This conflict causes an exploration of individual versus group interests.