Z for Zachariah

The novel is set ina small country side town called Burden Valley which is a valley surrounded by mountains. There is a major road just to the north of the valley, the narrator tells us this through the quote, "he came down from the north (page 9)... if he explores east and west, he is sure to explore south too." This shows that the valley is located south of the highway. There are two creeks running through the valley. One is polluted by radiation while the other, samller creek is uncontaminated because the narrator suggests that it comes from an underground source. There is a pond which is connected to the uncontaminated creek.

There is a cave located on the hillside behind the narrator's house where a person could remain hidden from people in the valley. We know this through the quote, "I am sitting at the entrance of the cave. I can see most of the valley..... but i don't think he can see me as it is half way up the hill behind my house." There are some bushes located high on the western ridge of the valley which are quite dense. The valley has a small population which are mostly farmers. There is a general store about a mile away from the narrator's house and a church is located near the store.

The valley could be seen from the top of Burden hill which is the hill you have to climb over to reach the valley when coming down from the north via the highway. This is shown through the quote, "there is a flat place where the road first reaches the top of the hill... when you get past the middle of this, you can see it all." The other side of Burden hill is contaminated by radiation and the narrator tells us by saying that there is no life on the other side of the hill, "everything is dead."