55 pages • 1 hour read
The Dead and the Gone
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Symbols & Motifs
Prayer
Prayer is a motif woven throughout the entire novel that lends itself to the theme of faith overcoming adversity. Numerous characters rely on prayer throughout the novel, especially the Morales children. On her children’s birthdays, Mami used to go to St. Margaret’s Church to pray for them, and her children continue this tradition in her absence. Further, when the Morales children find themselves in a particularly difficult situation—for example, before the arduous journey to the Port Authority to catch the convoy—they pray. Even when trapped in an elevator and facing death, Bri holds onto her rosary beads and prays until death finally takes her.
Sometimes characters use prayer as a distraction or say a prayer without feeling because circumstances are so dire. For example, when Alex sees the list of the dead on the bulletin board outside St. Margaret’s, he “trie[s] to pray for their souls, but the words ha[ve] lost all meaning” (50). Likewise, when Alex goes to Yankee Stadium to find Mami’s body, he boards the bus home and tries to distract himself through prayer: “God save their souls, Alex prayed. God save ours. It was the only prayer he could think of, no matter how inadequate it might be. It offered him no comfort, but he repeated it unceasingly. As long as he prayed he didn’t have to think” (65). This shows that Alex might only be going through the motions of prayer. Nevertheless, it is this endurance of prayer through the most difficult of circumstances that allows the Morales children to keep their faith to the end.
Bulletin Boards
The bulletin boards stand outside of St. Margaret’s and symbolize hope and reality simultaneously. On the one hand, the bulletin boards provide a place for people to come get information about the disaster and what’s going on in their neighborhood and city. The congregation finds comfort in knowing where to find this critical information and hope that it if something isn’t on the bulletin boards, it might not be a concern. They also feel a sense of hope with the occasional good news that Father Franco posts, such as word of the elementary school that distributes food each Friday.
On the other hand, the bulletin boards also stand for the harsh reality that the people find themselves in. They know that the situation is dire, and they know people are missing or dead. The bulletin boards carry a list of the dead and gone, allowing loved ones to locate their name and either find confirmation of their fears or hope that their loved ones might still be alive.
The Moon
The moon symbolizes the characters’ lack of control. The moon is causing all the natural disasters that are affecting the electricity and the ability to grow and obtain food. Every struggle that the Morales family endures is due to the moon and the fact that it is now closer to the Earth. Mami is likely dead from a flood in the subway and a tidal wave has probably swept away Papi’s village, both caused by the moon’s stronger gravitational pull. Bri develops asthma because of the ash in the air, which comes from the volcanoes that have become active because of the same gravitational pull. Her asthma eventually causes her to use an elevator that stops when the electricity goes out, trapping her inside. Julie and Alex nearly starve to death as food becomes scarcer—the result of ash in the air covering the sun, preventing plants from growing and produce food.
On a more figurative level, the moon also changes the characters and who they are. When Alex tells Danny O’Brien to pick up the paper he threw on the floor, Danny says, “I’m sorry. I really am, Morales. Blame it on the moon. It’s making me crazy” (66). Not only is the moon in control of the characters’ physical environment, but it’s also in control of their mental state, driving some to desperate acts like suicide or human trafficking.
Alex’s Radio
The Morales’ transistor radio symbolizes both comfort and fear for the family. In the beginning of the book, Alex clings to it for news, taking solace in knowing that he hears not just what’s going on in New York but in the world. This allows him to broaden his perspective and realize that God is not punishing him, as everyone is in the same situation. Eventually, however, Alex can no longer listen to the radio because the horrors he hears on it become too much for him, and it ceases to be a comfort.
Julie, on the other hand, hates listening to the radio because it scares her, and she is too young to process what she’s hearing. Alex agrees to listen to the radio with headphones so that he can keep his sense of comfort without making Julie afraid of what she’s hearing.
For Bri, the radio is a comfort. When she returns from the convent, her asthma forces her to stay indoors most of the time, so she listens to the radio while her brother and sister are at school so she doesn’t feel lonely. However, her need for comfort eventually drains the radio’s battery, leaving Alex fearful for their future because he no longer has a way to hear what’s happening in the city and what might prevent them from getting food.
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By Susan Beth Pfeffer
