In Alden Bell's Reapers Are Angels, the family unit persists in the face of a zombie apocalypse. While not seemingly normal, nor resembling the quintessential nuclear family, the idea of ​​family is very present throughout Temple's journey. Most families in this post-apocalyptic world operate under a strong sense of denial; a hope that the old world will seep through the seams of the nightmare that is unfortunately reality. They desperately cling to the traditions of the past with the faith that one day the universe will return to its previous state. Blind hope and misguided optimism lead these groups across the now bleak wasteland; however, hope for a better future is not depicted as a negative mindset in the novel. Appearing useless while remaining among their bloodthirsty neighbors, the family resists with confidence. This unfounded optimism has dragged the American family through war-torn decades and crippling depressions throughout history. Often hope is unjustified and seems unrealistic, but, strangely enough, this is precisely why hope exists. Completely frozen in the 19th century, Belle Isle, an estate that is home to the Grierson family in the novel, represents a more traditional, yet tremendously strange, representation of the family unit. The family is home to grandmother Grierson, brothers Richard and James, and two African-American servants Johns and Maisie. The presence of these two servants clearly differentiates the residence from the present day, illustrating a more peculiar and backward way of thinking. The family chooses to protect themselves from the surrounding undead by invoking pure ignorance. Characters like Granny and Richard reside in old-world fantasies, while also… middle of paper… chooses to overlook the fact that Abraham attempted to rape Temple and simply honor his children's bonds. family. And although in sinful conditions, these bonds are not corrupted. They are real and powerful. The names Abraham and Moses are obvious allusions to Old Testament figures. In the Bible, these two men plant the seeds of civilization. And in a certain sense Moses and Abraham are doing the same. Every family in the novel is. The world didn't end. Temple comments on this progress by saying, “As long as you're moving, it doesn't really matter where you're going or what's chasing you. That's why they call it progress. He continues to move forward on his own” (85). The fate of the world is in the hands of the people who remain. Strengthened by the resilient bonds among those who remain, the American family becomes the only hope for progress to continue in the surrounding chaos..