1. Bibliographic dataKlages, Anna. 2006. The Green Glass Sea. New York, N.Y.: Viking. 0-6700-6134-4.
2. Plot summary
The Green Glass Sea is a historical fiction novel written by Ellen Klages. Klages' story revolves around an eleven year-old girl named Duodecima Marie Kerrigan who journeys to live with her father in Los Alamos, New Mexico during World War Two. Known as "Dewey," this little girl thrives on mechanics and loves to learn. The father and daughter live on "The Hill" where chemists, physicists, and mathematicians work together on "the gadget" -- the-A Bomb. Dewey is an outsider in regards to the other children in the camp, but becomes friends with Suze when she lives with the Gordon family while her father goes to Washington. As the scientists complete their magnificent project, Dewey loses her father in a car accident and becomes a part of the Gordon family.
3. Critical Analysis
The Green Glass Sea is a beautiful tale about mystery, life changes, love, loss, friendship, and acceptance. I was very delighted and surprised by this story and count it as one of my favorites in the class so far.
The Green Glass Sea begins in 1943 and ends in 1945. Klages vividly describes the environment within which Dewey lives, starting with the landscape of New Mexico: "One side of the road drops off into a deep canyon scattered with scrubby dark bushes. The walls on the other side of the canyon look like a layer cake that some giant has cut cleanly with a knife. Sheer vertical cliffs are striped in horizontal bands of color, layer after layer of crumbly-looking rock, red and pink and brown, with the green valley below, and the distant mountains turning lavender in the twilight." This description paints a beautiful picture for someone who has never seen such a scene, and shows the reader how different this world is.
Klages also describes the feel of an army camp through Suze's thoughts: "If she stuck her head way, way out the window, she could see mountains and pine trees and the rocky slopes of the canyon and about a million stars at night. That part was okay. Mostly though, when she looked out the window normally, all she saw was laundry and dirt and army-green everything. Green houses, green trucks, green uniforms." Klages' description and Suze's accompanying thoughts reveal what "the Hill" must of felt like through a child's eyes.
These examples of setting - the landscape of the countryside and of the camp - really provide the reader with a sense of life in the camp during World War Two. I felt like Klages did a great job with setting - she did not overload the reader with details, but gave sufficient information to make the reader feel like they were there.
I felt very connected with the main character, Dewey. The story was written through her eyes, except for the parts where Dewey is not thinking, such as when she takes a walk after hearing of her father's death. After Klages has given insight into Dewey's mind, she introduces us to Suze and gives the reader opportunities to become acquainted with her. It was wonderful to know the differences between Suze and Dewey, and then watch as they become close friends. The scene where Suze and Dewey are confronted by the "Girls Scouts" is especially touching:
"[Suze] gripped the wagon handle tighter, and felt Dewey start to move out from under her arm. Suze almost let her go. Because 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."
I absolutely fell in love with Dewey and Suze, and could identify with the childhood issues they were confronting as well as the larger problems in their lives. I shed a tear when Dewey's father died, and was relieved when she was accepted into the Gordon family. Klages' characters are touching and real, although they may never have existed in real life.
As The Green Glass Sea is centered on a child's world, the plot tends to focus on the lives on the children and not the big picture of the A-bomb. The reader only learns about "the gadget" through the children, and we only hear of Franklin's death through the eyes and ears of Suze and Dewey:
"For the rest of her life, Dewey could recall that moment as a series of disconnected memories--the taste of oatmeal-raisin cookies in the back of her throat, a square of yellow-checked oilcloth, the slow, deep voice of Edward R. Murrow, and the almost-painful sensation of Mrs. Gordon's wedding ring pressing into the skin on the back of her hand. Dewey was aware of nothing else."
We live the plot just as the characters do, and we learn how it would feel to live during that time and experience the death of a beloved president. Klages does not overwhelm the reader with details and remains true to the time period. Based on these details and her ability to recreate the events of the past in a manner which evokes feeling and empathy, I feel that Klages use of plot in The Green Glass Sea to be extraordinary.
There are several themes present in this novel. Klages shows that it is important to remain true to yourself and who you are. We should also not be prejudiced of other people. We learn about the power of friendship and love, and we see power of people coming together to fight for the greater good. A big theme during this time period was loyalty, and I think this theme rings true today as well. I feel that there are a great many more themes in this book in addition to these. The Green Glass Sea abounds with meaning and significance, and it will take more than one read to fully understand Klages' message.
A few forms of dialogue are used in this novel, reflecting the diversity present in a group of scientists from all over the world. Dr. Bethe for example, gives insight into his heritage as he speaks to Suze: "We all put in our time...And you, liebchen? How are you tonight?" Other than this example, other languages are not present in the novel. Klages uses many aspects of 1940's language when her characters speak by having them say words such as "snafued" and "fubar," and phrases like "Color me yellow." These words reminded me that these children lived during a different time period, but did not overwhelm or confuse me.
Klages' style was easy to read and I found myself quickly immersed in this book. I absolutely loved it and learned a lot about how it was like to live during that time period. I feel that students and teachers would both learn a great deal about life, relationships, and the A-bomb by reading this book. It is definitely a must.
4. Review Excerpts
"Two girls spend a year in Los Alamos as their parents work on the secret gadget that will end World War II. Dewey is a mechanically minded 10-year-old who gets along fine with the scientists at the site, but is teased by girls her own age. When her mathematician father is called away, she moves in with Suze, who initially detests her new roommate. The two draw closer, though, and their growing friendship is neatly set against the tenseness of the Los Alamos compound as the project nears completion. Clear prose brings readers right into the unusual atmosphere of the secretive scientific community, seen through the eyes of the kids and their families. Dewey is an especially engaging character, plunging on with her mechanical projects and ignoring any questions about gender roles. Occasional shifts into first person highlight the protagonist's most emotional moments, including her journey to the site and her reaction to her father's unexpected death. After the atomic bomb test succeeds, ethical concerns of both youngsters and adults intensify as the characters learn how it is ultimately used. Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way." - School Library Journal
"In November 1943, 10-year-old budding inventor Dewey Kerrigan sets off on a cross-country train ride to be with her father, who is engaged in "war work." She is busy designing a radio when a fellow passenger named Dick Feynman offers to help her. Feynman's presence in this finely wrought first novel is the first clue that Dewey is headed for Los Alamos. The mystery and tension surrounding "war work" and what Dewey knows only as "the gadget" trickles down to the kids living in the Los Alamos compound, who often do without adult supervision. Although disliked by her girl classmates, "Screwy Dewey" enjoys Los Alamos. There are lots of people to talk with about radios (including "Oppie"), and she has the wonderful opportunity to dig through the nearby dump for discarded science stuff. However, when Dewey's father leaves for Washington, she is left to fend off the biggest bully in Los Alamos. The novel occasionally gets mired down in detail, but the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes." - Booklist
5. Connections
Related Activity:
After your students read The Green Glass Sea, have them form themselves into groups and research the A-Bomb. After each group presents a project (an oral presentation, a PowerPoint, a poster, etc.), have each student write an epilogue to The Green Glass Sea. Pretending they are either Suze or Dewey, ask students to write how they thought the characters would have reacted to the dropping of the A-Bomb over Hiroshima. How would they have felt? Would they have agreed with what President Truman did? Do you think this event changed their lives? Have students respond freely and honestly.
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