We has to read a book called alas babylon and we has to write an essay about how did fort repose adapt to the changes after the day. and I ran into two examples in the book that i didn't quite comprehend

It says people unconsciously were inclined to split time periods into new periods before the day and after the day. The first example is is that before the day a guy might have said he was an automobile dealer, now he operates a trotline for catfish.
2nd one is that a mother bight boast "Oh yes, Oscar passed his college boards. Of course that was before the day" or a younger mother might say Hope was born after the day i wonder about her teeth.
Just had problem comprehending those two examples.
thanks in advance

First example:

After the war, there's no need for automobile dealers -- no car to sell, no gas to run them, and no place to go. A trotline is a line with a lot of hooks so that many fish can be caught in a short time. These fish provide food for the people of Fort Repose.

Second:

Passing the college boards means nothing now because there are no colleges. The radiation from the bombs may have affected the child's teeth.

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In the book "Alas, Babylon," the day refers to the moment when a catastrophic event, a nuclear war, occurs. This event significantly changes the world, particularly the small town of Fort Repose where the story takes place. To understand the examples you mentioned, it is important to consider the concept of adaptation to the new reality.

1. Before the day, a man might have described himself as an automobile dealer, indicating that he worked in the business of selling cars. However, after the day, this same person is now described as someone who operates a trotline for catfish. This shift in occupation demonstrates how the nuclear war has disrupted and reshaped society. In the aftermath, resources like fuel and transportation might have become scarce or ineffective. As a result, people have to adapt by finding alternate means of survival and livelihood. The man in the example has shifted from a car-based profession to relying on a fishing method to secure a food source.

2. The second example involves a mother discussing her child's achievements before and after the day. The first mother proudly mentions that her son, Oscar, passed his college boards but clarifies that it happened before the day. The second mother, however, talks about her child, Hope, and wonders about her teeth, specifically mentioning that she was born after the day. These examples highlight the division of time periods and how they shape people's perspectives and expectations. The day, being a significant event, has become a dividing line between the previous world and the current reality. Achievements and growth are now viewed in the context of whether they occurred before or after the day. The younger mother's comment about her child's teeth suggests that even simple developmental milestones are measured and compared differently based on whether they happened before or after the day.

To write your essay about how Fort Repose adapted to the changes after the day in "Alas, Babylon," you can use these examples to explore the broader themes of societal transformation, resource scarcity, and the reshaping of priorities and values. Additionally, you could consider how the characters in the book navigate these changes and find new ways to survive and thrive in their altered environment.