The Terminal List

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2018

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Preface-Part 1, Chapter 10

Part 1, Chapters 11-18

Part 1, Chapters 19-30

Part 2, Chapters 31-41

Part 2, Chapter 42-Part 3, Chapter 47

Part 3, Chapters 48-64

Part 3, Chapter 65-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Background

Authorial Context: Jack Carr’s Career as a Navy SEAL

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses violence, suicide, and racism.

Carr is explicit that the novel is not autobiographical; however, his experience as a Navy SEAL, like James Reece, lends the novel authenticity. This is equally suggested by the fact that the US Department of Defense reviewed the book—something they do with all published works that may compromise national security—and found that aspects of the novel needed to be redacted, indicating that there was some material too truthful to be published. By leaving that redacted information in the novel and emphasizing his career as a SEAL, Carr lends the novel verisimilitude in a plot that otherwise emulates conspiracy theory.

It is extremely competitive and difficult to become a SEAL, and SEALs are hand-selected and highly trained for duty. Carr began training in 1996 and worked as a SEAL sniper for over six years; he also fulfilled roles as a team leader and platoon, troop, and task unit commander.

Navy SEALs are often romanticized in American popular culture. The male protagonists of both Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980) and Baywatch (1989-1999) are former Navy SEALs, several of the G.I. Joe action figures (1982-1994) were styled as Navy SEALs, and actress Demi Moore played a woman training to become a Navy SEAL in G.I. Jane (1997). Following their key role in Bin Laden’s assassination in 2011, the SEALs were more prominently lauded as American heroes and the epitome of patriotism and masculinity; this raid is portrayed in Zero Dark Thirty (2012), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Carr’s background as a SEAL puts him in a unique position to question this new public persona, especially since being public about their work goes against a “key element of [the SEALs’] ethos: ‘I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions’” (Thompson, Mark. “Why Navy SEALs Are Supposed to Keep Their Mouths Shut.” TIME, 9 Nov. 2014). By writing a fictional book, Carr can maintain this ethos while still informing the public about the SEALs’ work.

Geopolitical Context: US Military Operations in the Middle East During the War on Terror

In response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the United States launched a global counterterrorism campaign, which is often referred to as the “War on Terror.” This campaign officially lasted from 2001 to 2021 and spanned multiple countries but focused primarily on Iraq and Afghanistan. The goal of the war was to seek out and destroy terrorists who wanted to harm or attack the United States. However, many critics of the war argue that the war actually “increased anti-Americanism” and was created for ulterior reasons: “controlling global oil reserves, increasing defense spending, expanding the country’s international military presence, and countering the strategic challenge posed by various regional powers” (“War on Terrorism.” Britannica). Additionally, the Islamic State (ISIS) was created as an offshoot of Al Qaeda in Iraq, gaining popularity as the United States’ invasion and occupation continued.

The War on Terror additionally had devastating effects on military personnel’s mental health. According to the Watson Institute, “At least four times as many active duty personnel and war veterans of post-9/11 conflicts have died of suicide than in combat” (“Costs of War.” Watson Institute). This is largely due to PTSD following their combat. The search for a PTSD solution and drug propels much of The Terminal List’s main conflict and continues to be one of the lingering effects of the War on Terror.

Ideological Context: Antigovernment Movement in the US

The antigovernment movement has had many iterations but was most popular during the 1990s. Major domestic stand-offs with federal agencies included the Ruby Ridge stand-off in 1992—during which anti-government extremist Randy Weaver and his family and friend engaged in the exchange of fire with officers who had come to arrest him for firearm charges, resulting in his wife and son and a Deputy Marshall being killed—and the Branch Davidian stand-off in 1993. Additionally, the movement included the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1996, in which white supremacist and antigovernment extremist Timothy McVeigh carried out a domestic terrorist attack and killed 168 people. The antigovernment movement is sometimes called the “patriot movement” by those who “believe the federal government is tyrannical, and they traffic in conspiracy theories about an illegitimate government of leftist elites” (“Antigovernment General.” SPLC). Historically, the movement focuses on gun rights and survivalism, preaching that citizens should have autonomy and not have their individual or constitutional rights infringed upon. These groups often have a strong distrust of the federal government and spread conspiracy theories about who controls the government.

The various conspiracy theories present in the novel are reminiscent of and have undertones of the antigovernment movement. Lorraine Hartley references Timothy McVeigh and Randy Weaver in her press conference, implying that Reece is joining the antigovernment movement that the men supported. While Reece never says that he is a part of this movement, he often laments the federal government’s control over guns and citizen rights, and he has many friends who are explicitly in favor of the antigovernment movement.