The Green Glass Sea

“Once she had drawn a picture for Gramma Weiss, the view from her bedroom, the stick-your-head-out view, which had been very hard to draw. But the stupid old censor sent it back and said it wasn’t allowed.”

The secrecy of Los Alamos is established through the censoring of Suze’s mail. Even the drawing of the view from her bedroom, which seems relatively innocuous, is disallowed by the censor. This incident illustrates the ultra-secret nature of the Manhattan Project.

“Suze made a face. She tried to think of something snappy to say back, but came up blank. Then she got an idea. ‘I’m going to the PX for a Coke,’ she said in a loud voice, and looked across at the other stoop. ‘The Tech PX.’ She held her breath, waiting for someone to say what a swell idea that was, and maybe they’d come along. But they almost never did anything she said. Joyce looked up at her for a long second, long enough to make Suze feel uncomfortable, as if she was being judged, or Joyce was trying to figure out if there would be a better offer. ‘It is hot,’ Joyce said finally. ‘Barbara? Bets? You wanna get Cokes?’ She made it sound like it was her idea, but Suze didn’t say anything.”

Suze’s social exclusion is established in this anecdote, particularly in Joyce’s judgmental glare at Suze and her intentional exclusion of Suze in her suggestion that they go for cokes (pitched as if it had been her suggestion). It is also clear, through Suze’s held breath, that Suze desperately hopes to be included by the popular girls.

“‘She’s a good egg,’ he said. He glared at Betty for a moment, then gave his bike a shove and started walking. Jack followed, and after a moment, so did Dewey. ‘Rotten egg’s more like it,’ said Suze loudly, so the other girls would know she was on their side.”

Klages explores the way that cruel behavior is often borne out of insecurity; Suze is bullied and becomes a bully to Dewey, hoping that this will gain the approval and social acceptance of Joyce, Betty, and Barbara. Although Suze is cruel to Dewey in this exchange, their friendship is subtly foreshadowed by the fact that both girls are excluded; they will come to appreciate and value each other as friends and pseudo-family.

“A lot of the work we’re doing here, on the Hill, is based on discoveries German scientists made in the thirties. So it’s likely Josef and the others are trying to solve the same problems. But god help us if they get there first.”

The reader is reminded that America perceives itself to be in an arms race with the Axis powers, particularly with Germany. There is a shared terror that Germany will develop an atomic weapon first, as Papa explains to Dewey. This concern adds suspense and pressure to the Manhattan Project. For this reason, Dewey’s Papa is summoned to the White House to review documents acquired from Munich; his expertise is sought to ascertain whether German scientists are close to developing an atomic bomb.

“‘If we win this war, I’ll always be free to do what I love. To solve problems, to teach, to share my discoveries. A lot of my colleagues can’t. Some of them have died for it.’ ‘Because they did math?’ ‘Because they were Jewish.’”

The Manhattan Project is contextualized in terms of the broader context of World War II and Germany’s genocide of the Jews. An allied victory is perceived as a moral victory over Nazi antisemitic persecution. The moral component of the project motivates Jimmy Kerrigan in his work.

“‘You better not walk with me,’ Suze had said on their first school day together. ‘And don’t even think about eating lunch with me.’”

Suze is hyper-aware of social popularity and inclusion. Already excluded by the popular girls, Suze fears that her association with Dewey will lead to further exclusion. Klages emphasizes that bullying and exclusion create further bullying and exclusion, as Suze is rude to Dewey because Joyce, Betty, and Barbara are rude to Suze.

“Suze stood a few feet away, watching. Dewey was pretty sure she wasn’t playing with the other girls, just standing nearby and pretending that she would be, any minute. Sometimes Dewey felt sorry for Suze, because the other girls didn’t ask her to play very often.”

Suze’s exclusion is noted by Dewey, who is not as acutely affected by her status as an outsider because she is more comfortable being alone than Suze. Suze’s cruelty to Dewey is contextualized by Suze’s exclusion, which makes her desperate to fit in.

“She looked at Dewey out of the corner of her eye. She’d never had a conversation like this with another kid. She didn’t feel like she had to be funny, or try to show Dewey how smart she was. She could just be.”

Suze’s Coming of Age is characterized by her changing relationship with Dewey; she comes to realize that feeling authentically appreciated and accepted is more important than fitting in and being popular. This change alludes to the important theme of Social Inclusion and Exclusion and the Importance of Human Connection.

“He gripped the wagon handle tighter, and felt Dewey start to move out from under her arm. Suze almost let her go. Because maybe there was still time to—and then she stopped. To what? To pretend that she hadn’t been to the dump with Dewey? But she had, and it had been fun. Suze looked down at the drawer in the wagon. Just a minute ago, she’d been excited to get back home, to start fitting the pieces of her collage into it. That had been a good feeling, and she wanted it back. Wanted it more fiercely than she’d known, wanted it a lot more than she cared if Joyce liked her or not. She took a deep breath and squeezed Dewey’s shoulder, just once, and Dewey stood still.”

Suze keeping her arm around Dewey is a symbolically significant moment whereby Suze illustrates her growing maturity. Suze asserts her loyalty to the ostracized Dewey despite the potential social consequences, illustrating that she has come to realize that authentic and respectful friendship (as she shares with Dewey) is more important than popularity.

“Yeah. There’s plenty of room.”

Suze illustrates her maturity when she assures her mother that there is room for Dewey to remain in their home after Dewey’s Papa dies. This is an immense change from Suze’s initial rude and unwelcoming behavior. Coming of Age is signaled as an important theme here.

“She finally begins to cry, a slow, steady trickle, as if she is leaking.”

Dewey’s grief is characterized by her tears. The reference to “leaking” implies that Dewey tried to hold in her grief, but it finally reached a point where it had to break free in the form of tears. The reader is positioned to mourn for the orphaned Dewey, who adored her father and now has no remaining family to care for her.

“Tensions and tempers ran high. Everyone seemed to be on hold, as if waiting for a phone that refused to ring.”

Suspense is built as the bomb test nears, characterized by the metaphor of the Los Alamos community waiting for a phone to ring. The reader is reminded that the scientists had no way of knowing for sure whether the bomb would detonate or what the magnitude or consequences would be. This concern alludes to The Ethical Implications of Scientific Discovery.

“He said that Dr. Fermi made a bet with his dad that when they test the gadget, all the air in the world is going to catch fire. And his mom found out, and that’s why he and Charlie have to go to their gramma’s farm in Oregon next month. Just in case.”

Jack and Charlie are sent away from Los Alamos to keep them safe from the potential impact of the nuclear bomb test. The reader is reminded that scientific modeling around the atomic bomb was the scientists’ best guess but that there was no way of knowing for sure what would happen. This awareness contributes to the rising tension and suspense in these chapters as the bomb test approaches.

“She [Suze] looked down at the stone in her hand, then reached over and chinked it against Dewey’s. ‘Shazam,’ she said. ‘Shazam.’ Dewey tucked the stone into the left-hand pocket of her shorts and picked up Thrilling Comics by the spine, pinching it shut. She tossed it onto her pillow. ‘Wanna see if there’s anything good at the dump?’ she asked. Suze pocketed her own stone and grinned. ‘I’ll go find my shoes.’”

Dewey’s developing friendship with Suze helps her to weather the tragedy of her Papa’s death. The relationship is characterized by their founding of the Shazam Club together, based on their mutual love of comics (Shazam is a Captain Marvel slogan). Tellingly, Dewey gets out of bed for the first time in weeks to go to the dump with Suze after this symbolic expression of their friendship.

“And suddenly there was a bright light, as bright as the sun. It lit up the faces of the people and the leaves of the trees. Dewey could see the colors and patterns of blankets and shirts that had been indistinct grays a second before, as if it were instantly morning, as if the sun had risen in the south, just this once. Time stood still for a moment, and then the light faded. A minute later she heard—and felt—a long, low rumble, like distant, alien thunder. It faded as well, and after a moment’s pause, everyone on the mesa stood and began hugging each other. Conversations grew louder, happier, as their silent vigil became a party.”

The bomb creates brightness as if the sun has risen in the middle of the night and an enormous noise like “alien thunder.” These details emphasize the unprecedented nature of this scientific breakthrough; it is like something out of science fiction. It also emphasizes the enormous and awesome power of the bomb. This power links to The Ethical Implications of Scientific Discovery. The divided responses of the scientific community are foreshadowed in the joyful celebration of the bomb, which will be used as a weapon.

“Dr. Gordon came bounding up the back steps ten minutes later, grinning from ear to ear, his fingers raised in a V-for-Victory sign.”

The Ethical Implications of Scientific Discovery are alluded to in Philip’s excitement; he perceives the atomic bomb as the key to America’s victory in the Pacific Theater of World War II and, therefore, is proud and excited.

“Now we’ll have the Japs on toast.”

Suze’s cheerful and nonchalant reference to defeating Japan using the atomic bomb is intentionally jarring to the reader, who knows that having “the Japs on toast” will inevitably involve massive loss of life and destruction. Suze is untroubled by the ethical implications of this move, but Klages, through paralipsis, suggests that the reader should question the use of the bomb. The quote alludes to The Ethical Implications of Scientific Discovery.

“She [Dewey] heard Dick Feynman talking, and stopped in the doorway to listen. ‘Well, yes. We started for a good reason, and we’ve been working so hard. It was pleasure. It was excitement, ‘ he said. ‘But you stop thinking about—you know? You just stop. And now…’ ‘And now that we’ve seen what it can do. My god,’ Terry Gordon said, her voice raised, sounding angry. ‘They can’t use it. Not on civilians. Not on anyone, for that matter.’”

The Ethical Implications of Scientific Discovery are explored in Terry’s compunction; she does not believe that the bomb can be ethically used on anyone, even on the United States’ enemies. Her belief makes her regret her involvement in the project and feel concerned that it will lead to immense loss of life. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is alluded to in this.

“The Gordons had been arguing a lot lately.”

The Gordons represent the opposing positions on the use of the atomic bomb. Philip Gordon believes that it is the government’s responsibility to decide what is to be done with the bomb and that their part is done, whereas Terry Gordon believes that the scientists involved in the project have a moral responsibility to ensure that it is not used on human populations. Through their arguments, The Ethical Implications of Scientific Discovery is presented as an important theme.

“‘Sure. I asked, and Daddy said the whole family’s going.’ ‘Family?’ Dewey made a funny sound in her throat but didn’t say anything.”

Suze’s maturity is shown in her inclusion of Dewey into their family unit, rather than resenting the incursion, as she did initially. Furthermore, their friendship is represented as vital to Dewey’s well-being; her inclusion in the Gordon family helps her to survive the tragic loss of her Papa. She is obviously moved at being included by Suze in the family unit, as is illustrated by the “funny sound in her throat,” which conveys Dewey’s emotion.

“She stood a few yards back from the others, her lips pressed tight together, staring down at one of the black animal shapes. ‘Christ,’ she said. ‘What have we done?’”

Black shapes in the desert are all that remain of animals that were vaporized in the blast and preserved in the heated glass, which was once sand. Terry considers them, feeling overwhelmed by the power of the bomb she helped create. The black shapes of animals symbolize the potential loss of life if the bomb is used on a human population and links to the theme of The Ethical Implications of Scientific Discovery.

“It’s the first new mineral created on this planet in millions of years.”

Klages further characterizes the atomic bomb as something out of science fiction—something completely out of this world and unprecedented—in the amazing sight of the sea of green glass created by the bomb blast’s heat, as well as in the fact that the blast created a new mineral. The reader is positioned to marvel at the beauty and might of the blast but also to wonder whether the scientists are “playing God” by creating new minerals.

“When Papa had talked about how beautiful math and science were, his voice had sounded just the way she felt now. She knelt down and put her hand flat on the green surface.”

Science functions as an important motif that defines and unites characters. Dewey feels close to her father when she observes and appreciates the power and beauty of the bomb blast that he helped to create.