Midnight at the Electric

“Neighborhood by neighborhood, the ocean had crept into the city, making it look like a kingdom from an old fairy tale, like Atlantis disintegrating into myth.”

This description of Miami introduces the theme of Environmental Destruction for the Sake of Progress. This theme runs throughout each of the storylines. In Adri’s storyline, the theme is portrayed through the rising sea levels, the need to colonize Mars, and Adri’s criticisms of Lily and her generation’s actions. The theme demonstrates the consequences of prioritizing short term progress over the long-term state of the environment.

“We’re a house full of secrets. The main secret is that we are afraid.”

Catherine uses the concept of secrets to implicitly describe her family. By doing so, she shows that her family members are reserved and insecure, and she foreshadows later events. The mention of secrets hints at her feelings toward Ellis and the hidden truth that Lenore is her mother. The mention of the family’s fear is tied to the Dust Bowl conditions; they are scared they will not make it through the Dust Bowl but are also scared to leave.

“The other thing she told us is something I can barely stomach to think about: a man who goes to our church was found under the dirt two days ago, dead. He’d gotten caught up in a duster while driving to Wichita and tried to run to safety from his car. He got buried alive.”

This description in Catherine’s diary serves multiple purposes. It helps develop the setting and reflects the historical context of the Dust Bowl. It adds tension by showing how dangerous the conditions are and influences later tension when Beth is caught outside in a sudden dust storm.