ALL YOU ZOMBIES Essay, Research Paper

By: Robert A. Heinlein

In the story, All You Zombies, there are many paradoxes that Heinlein touches upon. One

being, the ability to travel

back and forth through time. This jumping from one time to another would allow one to

arrive at a time that he or

she is already in causing there to be two of the same person at once. In fact, this is the

scenario that occurs in the

short story. It all starts when the bartender approaches a sad soul setting at the bar. He

asks the fellow to tell him

what is wrong. Though reluctant to, the gentleman does after being persuaded to by a

bottle of wine. The deal was

that if his story was worse then the bartenders he could keep the bottle all for himself. This

is a paradox because the

reader finds out later in the story that both men are one in the same with the held of time

travel. The bartender

knowing this has nothing to loose because either way he wins the bottle of wine. Time

travel, in this story, is

symbolized by the ring that the bartender wares. Like the ring, with no end or beginning,

time, through time travel

has no end or beginning allowing one to travel through out time with no interruptions. The

ring was also said to be

warn ?to keep women off.? This being that the bartender himself was once a woman(Jane)

before he had an,

unwilling operation. This operation was done after Jane had a caesarean and the doctor

found out that she had ?two

full sets of organs.? When Jane awoke to the bad news she was wrapped tightly in

bandages causing her, know a

him, to feel ?Like a mummy.? This mummy like feeling is the symbolism for the rest of his

life. Once a she now being

restricted into a mans body with his life and his fate sealed with him in the bandages.

Another paradox is when he

says to the bartender, after being interrupted by him, ?Who?s telling this story?? Although

the reader, like the story

teller, does not know that in fact, he is the bartender. So they are both telling the story

because they are one in the

same. This is made possible again by time travel, allowing him to be at two place at one

time. The mystery finally

unravels for him and the reader with this comment, ?Now you know who he is – and after

you think it over you?ll

know who you are . . . and if you think hard enough, you?ll figure out who the baby is . . .

and who I am.? With

these words he came to realize that they are all one in the same. Though he is many

different people at once he still

feels alone missing the innocent, childishness that he once had. This is apparent when he

says, ?There isn?t anybody

but me Jane-here alone in the dark.? This time travel all took place because the character

needed to tell his sad

story to someone. Being that he himself is the only one that would understand, he traveled

back in time to talk it

over with himself. Robert Heinlein does a good job keeping the reader in suspense by not

allowing him or her to

know that the characters are one is the same.