Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days

This initial section of the novel borrows from the conventions of the suspense-thriller genre to quickly introduce the mysterious global disappearances as the catalyst for the plot of the novel and the series itself. Although the Evangelical Christian framework of the novel makes it clear that Rayford’s suspicions about the Rapture are correct, the authors nonetheless endeavor to evoke a sense of suspense by emphasizing the mysterious nature of the event and focusing on the speculation that surrounds the unfolding crisis. As the authors blend individual experiences with a global perspective, the narrative creates an impression of pieces aligning on a chessboard, for intimations of widespread political intrigue punctuate the more personal spiritual crises amongst the protagonists. Because the narrative is written in third person limited, the alternating glimpses of Rayford and Buck’s viewpoints soon establish the fact that both men hold similarly skeptical views, unlike the now-vanished family members who have left them behind. Thus, within the context of the novel’s evangelical aims, the characters’ situations introduce the theme of The Balance Between Skepticism and Faith, and the fact that they are both still present in the world foreshadows the imminent spiritual journeys that they must take to develop a belief in Jesus as Christ.

Buck’s journalistic endeavors provide the authors with a practical plot device to reveal the global implications of the disappearances. Thus, the narrative structure of the first chapter shifts between the more personal details of individual disappearances and Buck’s memory of his politically significant interview with Chaim Rosenzweig. His recollections facilitate the authors’ exposition on the political context that dominates the world of the novel, and his thoughts also serve to relay the mysterious events surrounding the Russian air force’s destruction upon its attempt to attack Israel. Throughout the novel, the authors frequently present the action of a plot event first, then follow up with a specific allusion to the biblical prophecy that the event is meant to portray. In the case of Buck’s recollection of the attack on Israel, his memory of the scene precedes the statement that he was “stunned when he read Ezekiel 38 and 39 about a great enemy from the north invading Israel […] [and the foretelling of] weapons of war used as fire fuel and enemy soldiers eaten by birds or buried in a common grave” (15). This passage is significant because it foreshadows the violence that will occur throughout the series and builds anticipation regarding that aspect of the novel. Additionally, by establishing this deliberate pattern of first relaying the action and then describing its biblical significance, the authors cater to a widespread audience by building interest in the story and then inserting a theological explanation. If they were to begin with eschatology, they would run the risk of losing the interest of all but the most devoted readers. The existing pattern reflects their strategic use of the convention of common fiction genres to popularize a very specific religious belief.

This section of the novel also provides crucial characterization for Rayford and Buck and places them on parallel trajectories. Significantly, they both function as flawed protagonists within the novel’s implicit worldview, for they share similar characteristics of intelligence and skepticism. Both have a frame of reference for understanding and recognizing the religious context of the Rapture, for Rayford has been instructed by his wife, and Buck has witnessed unexplainable events in Israel that have already led him to believe in God, if not in Jesus as the savior of humanity. Significantly, Buck’s initial interactions with others foreshadow the Corruption and Instability of a Post-Crisis World, for similar to his memory of the Rosenzweig meeting, the email from Buck’s boss, Steve, is used to introduce the imminent global events that will accelerate the plot. The relative mobility of  Buck and Rayford also aids the plot development on a practical level, for their careers keep them on the move despite the widespread consequences of the cataclysmic event and the continuing destruction of infrastructure.

The novel employs shorter sections within larger chapters in order to speed the pacing and maintain the dramatic tension of the narrative. Accordingly, passages devoted to exposition or retrospection are judiciously interspersed between those with more action or movement. In addition to the search for an overarching explanation of the disappearances, the narrative creates a sense of uncertainty about Rayford’s situation, for it is not immediately apparent whether his wife and son have disappeared, and whether Chloe will get home safely. Similarly, the authors create a sense of the uncanny by contrasting the mundane, domestic details of a house “decorated with needlepoint and country knickknacks” (75) with the supernatural events that now dominate the world. Similarly, transit-related settings of the airplane and airport emphasize the orderly nature of the world prior to the disappearances and emphasize how drastically everything has shifted after the disappearances.