61 pages • 2 hours read
Code Orange
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Themes
Terrorism: Pre- and Post-9/11
September 11, 2001, brought the fear of terrorism to the hearts of modern Americans, who had been relatively shielded from its grasp. In the years following 9/11, Americans, and especially New Yorkers, were on edge. When would the next attack take place? How would it happen? The indiscriminate nature of the attacks was especially terrorizing. They happened on a beautiful September day, full of blue skies and sun, a day like many other days. And in the middle of such normalcy came terror. Suddenly, all normalcy disappeared because people had no way of protecting themselves. When envelopes full of anthrax were mailed later that year, the same feelings were triggered—terror could reach anyone with a mailbox. The rich and the poor alike were vulnerable. Mitty, for all of his privilege and wealth, has no special protection against terrorism. In fact, he ends up being the target of terrorists.
Of course, terrorism existed before September 11, 2001. The history of smallpox is a history of terror, as smallpox epidemics struck viciously, killing and injuring everyone they touched. Outbreaks could occur anywhere and were especially virulent when the population had not built up any immunity, such as when Native Americans got the disease from European colonists. Their lack of immunity wiped out most of their population, making it easier for Europeans to take over their lands.
Despite the fact that Beowulf was written more than 1,200 years ago, when he reads it for class, Mitty feels a connection to the helpless Danes, who are terrorized by the powerful monster Grendel in the middle of the night as they sleep. Even within the supposed safety of Herot’s great walls, the Danes find that they are vulnerable at any moment.
The Existence of Evil
The narrator does not explore the terrorists’ motivations. Mitty’s kidnappers remain faceless and motiveless. Their only stated desire is to kill as many innocent people as possible. Just as Grendel came out of the darkness to terrorize the Danes in Beowulf, so have these terrorists infiltrated New York in order to kill as many as they can.
When Mitty and his friends discuss the nature of evil, they reflect that many New Yorkers live with contradiction when thinking about evil. They don’t want to believe in the existence of evil; they don’t want to believe that anyone would want to kill innocent people. They don’t want to accept a world where terror and death can lurk in an airplane, an envelope, a sneeze. At the same time, New Yorkers have witnessed firsthand what terrorists did when they wanted to kill as many people as possible. They cannot deny that evil exists.
The Hero’s Journey
Mitty is an unlikely hero. He drifts along in school, getting by on the bare minimum effort. His wealth and privilege insulate him from some of the worst consequences of such behavior. His parents and his teachers won’t let him fall too far; many safety nets in place are in place for him.
Despite his willingness to settle for the minimum requirements, at least as far as school is concerned, Mitty still enjoys daydreaming about accomplishing great things. He enjoys dreaming of heroism but never takes any concrete steps toward heroic action. And yet when he suddenly finds himself in a world of danger and disease, he can no longer retreat to the safety of his former life. He has crossed the threshold into a world where there are two options: fail to act and let evil thrive or act and possibly thwart evil, while most likely dying in the process.
Earlier, Mitty would have run away from such choices. But Mitty has had time to reflect on what is most important in his life. Given the option to act or not, fully aware of the deadly consequences, he does not hesitate to act, even though he must act alone. When his city is threatened, he must fight back. When the terrorists repeatedly claim their desire to unleash smallpox on Americans and then “dance in the streets,” Mitty does not waver in his resolve to do everything he can to stop them (177).
The Resiliency of Cities, Particularly New York City
Mitty lives in New York City and loves the diversity that enriches his life every day. He admired the toughness of all New Yorkers, realizing that they go about their lives differently than suburbanites do, negotiating sidewalks and subways along with everyone else as they head off in their many different directions. He likes the physical exertion of walking and not relying on a car all the time. He is drawn to all of the opportunities that beckon outside his apartment. Although the city suffered greatly on 9/11, New Yorkers survived, and Mitty has faith that New Yorkers will continue to survive and flourish. That is why he will do anything possible to protect them.
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