The Green Glass Sea

“It is called The Boy Mechanic, and she is reading a chapter about building radios. Her fingers itch with the urge to have all the parts in front of her.”

Science is introduced as a recurring motif, with which Dewey aligns herself through her constant reading, research, and mechanical projects. Dewey retreats into the world of science, math, and mechanics; these passions are constants in her world, which is otherwise constantly disrupted by the need to frequently move to new locations, homes, and schools. Furthermore, these interests keep Dewey feeling connected with her father, a celebrated scientist. The sexist title of Dewey’s book, which is exclusionary to girls with an interest in mechanics, contextualizes the world of the 1940s; Dewey is categorized as unusual for her gender due to her interest in designing and building machinery.

“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.