It centred around the character Edward K. Wehling Jr. and his family in a hospital, in where his in a situation of finding enough people to volunteer to die in order for him to save his triplets. Only, his maternal grandfather volunteered to die and therefore he faced a dilemma of whether to kill his two other children or continue finding volunteers. A winter can be seen redecorating a mural in the hospital where Dr. Hitz and Leora Duncan from the FBT comes to pose for the mural. Dr. Hitz asked Wehling his belief on the system and attempts to explain to him that his surviving child will "live on a happy, roomy, clean and rich planet." However Wehling then draws a revolver and kills Dr. Hitz, Leora Duncan and himself, "making room for all three children."
The painter reflects on the scene he just witness and thought of killing himself, but instead he called the FTB to schedule an assisted suicide with the FTB replying with "Thank you, sir. Your city thanks you; your country thanks you; your planet thanks you. But the deepest thanks of all is from all the future generations."
History
The title was taken from Hamlet's famous phrase "to be, or not to be".
Scapegoatism - Wheling sacrificing himself and killing other two people in order to save his grandfather and his triplets. Also, the painter scarfing himself for other people.
Socio-Cultural Links
- The short story has been made into a film "2BRO2B: To Be Or Naught To Be" by director Marco Checa Garcia. (April 2016)
- Tom Morash also made a film based on the story around July 2016.
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