The Memoirs of a Survivor Summary

The Memoirs of a Survivor is a dystopian novel by Nobel Prize-winning writer Doris Lessing. It was first published in 1974 by Octagon Press and in 1975 by Alfred A. Knopf in the United States. In 1981, it was made into a film starring Julie Christie and Nigel Hawthorne, directed by David Gladwell.

The story takes place in a future version of Britain where society has fallen apart because of a disaster known as "The Crisis." Although some parts of the old world remain, life is now very different. The government that exists has little power and struggles to control the people. News can still be heard, but law and order are mostly enforced by vigilantes and a few remaining police officers. Education is only available to wealthier survivors, while schools for the poor are controlled by the army and are used to keep people in check. Some businesses continue to operate, but many people must scavenge to find rare items.

At the start of the novel, society is falling apart even more. People are leaving the city, food is running out, and store shelves are empty. Food is being rationed, and gangs move through the city, attacking residents. Many of the narrator’s neighbors want to leave as the situation worsens.

The narrator is a middle-aged woman who lives alone in her flat. One day, she unexpectedly finds herself responsible for a teenage girl named Emily Cartwright and her cat, Hugo. The narrator tries to make Emily feel comfortable and wants her to think well of her. She often praises Emily’s skills and tidiness and wonders about the girl’s purpose in life. Emily is smart and thoughtful but keeps her distance. The two of them get along in a quiet way, forming an unspoken agreement to tolerate each other’s company.

The peaceful routine ends when a group of young people move into the community. Emily goes to meet them but backs away when they tease her and threaten Hugo. Later that evening, she meets them again and enjoys their company. When she returns home, she tells the narrator that at least the gang members know how to have fun. Over the next few months, many different gangs pass through the area, and Emily always joins them. This causes tension between Emily and the narrator, but the narrator remains calm despite Emily’s sharp remarks.

As Emily grows older, she changes in many ways. She makes her own clothes, gains and loses weight, and works hard to improve her appearance. Eventually, a group of young people in the community form their own gang, copying the gangs that had passed through before. Emily happily joins them in their nightly activities. It becomes clear that the gang will soon leave, and the narrator believes Emily will go with them. However, Emily hesitates because she does not want to leave Hugo behind. She tries to introduce him to the gang, but they do not accept him. One day, three gang members go to the flat, planning to eat Hugo, but they change their minds when they see the narrator. Emily finds out about this and decides she cannot leave Hugo. Soon, the gang splits into two groups, and Emily stays with the part that does not leave.

As time goes on, society continues to fall apart. Agriculture starts to become common in the city as people struggle to survive. Nearby, a young man named Gerald gathers homeless children and forms a new gang. Emily becomes interested in Gerald, and it is suggested that they have a romantic relationship. Emily’s influence in the community grows, and she becomes a leader among the young people. One day, the narrator comes home to find things stolen from her flat. Emily discovers who took the items and orders the thieves—some of the children she leads—to return them, showing her power and her ability to protect the narrator, who had once protected her. She then takes the narrator upstairs, where a busy market has formed in the upper floors of their building.

Gerald gains more power as his group grows, and Emily helps him. However, problems arise when Gerald takes an interest in other girls. Things get worse when Gerald, who the narrator says has too kind a heart, welcomes a group of wild children from the sewers into his gang. These children are dirty and aggressive, and their presence ruins Gerald’s once well-organized gang. The community gathers to discuss what to do about them, but the police arrive and break up the meeting. People fear that the authorities, referred to as "them," are now watching the community, so many residents flee in the following months.

More time passes, and society continues to fall apart. Although the wild children are supposed to follow Gerald’s leadership, they often act on their own, causing chaos in the neighborhood. Water is becoming scarce, trade routes are dangerous, and even the government seems to be abandoning parts of the city. Emily and the narrator mostly stay inside their flat. Because of Emily’s connection to Gerald, they are able to avoid trouble, but both fear that the children will eventually turn on them. Most of their neighbors have left for the north and west, but no one knows what happens to people who go there. Eventually, the wild children betray Gerald and attack him. He is shocked that they would do such a thing, but Emily manages to save him and bring him to the flat. With their situation looking hopeless, Emily, Gerald, Hugo, and the narrator fall asleep, expecting an attack during the night. When the narrator wakes up, she sees that the wall has opened in front of her, revealing a new world on the other side. Emily leads them through, and as they step forward, the walls disappear, welcoming them into a better place.

Throughout the novel, the narrator is able to meditate on a certain wall in her flat and experience visions that allow her to see across space and time. Many of these visions show Emily’s difficult childhood with a strict mother and distant father. At the end of the story, the narrator, Emily, Gerald, and Hugo pass through the wall and enter a new, better world, leaving their old lives behind.