43 pages • 1 hour read
The Andromeda Strain
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Part 5Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 5: “Day 5—Resolution”
Chapter 30 Summary: “The Last Day”
Hall wakes up 15 minutes later. He talks to Stone but cannot stay awake long. Hall wakes again an hour later and is told that, “according to predictions, the organism is over Los Angeles now” (180). However, nothing seems to have happened. Stone suggests that the Andromeda Strain has mutated into a benign, harmless form. Stone insists that “things are now under control” (181). The scientists are studying the organism, desperate to understand more about it.
Epilogue Summary
A manned spacecraft named Andros V crashes. The loss is blamed on mechanical failure. The US government appoints a committee to investigate the cause of the crash and, in the meantime, suspends all spaceflights. The Russians also suspend all spaceflight. The investigation committee includes Jeremy Stone. Until the scientists understand what happened, the authorities can give no information as to when spaceflights will resume. A representative tells a reporter, “the decision is out of our hands” (182).
Part 5 Analysis
The Andromeda Strain’s final chapter and short Epilogue reveal the true focus of the story. The novel is not necessarily about the alien organism that arrives on Earth. After a violent introduction, the alien organism is ultimately benign and seemingly harmless to humans.
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By Michael Crichton
