53 pages • 1 hour read
Worst Case Scenario
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Symbols & Motifs
Matt’s Fishing Pole
Matt’s fishing pole is a symbol that represents his relationship with his father. The fishing pole is first mentioned when Steve explains to his son that he must risk his life by entering the spent fuel pool. They have an awkward interaction wherein Steve recognizes the distance that has grown between them since Claire’s death. Steve tries to ameliorate the situation by reassuring Matt that he will make things better at home, and Matt replies that Steve said the same thing about his fishing pole. When Steve has “absolutely no idea what Matt [i]s talking about” (176), he realizes that he had completely forgotten about his tradition of going fishing with Matt and laments, “That’s how distant, how unpresent, he’d been for his son” (177). This reaction conveys the disconnect that has occurred between Steve and Matt in the wake of Claire’s death, exemplifying the theme of Navigating the Temptation to Ignore Trauma. Thus far, Steve has avoided processing her death, and he openly admits that he commits his life to work instead of spending time with his son or grieving for his wife.
However, Steve undergoes a change when he is exposed to radiation and knows that he is going to die. After he tells Matt that he has less than a year to live, he promises the boy that they will spend that time together and repair their relationship. He admits, “I am with you. There are no lists. No protocols. It’s just us, living the moments we got” (215). When Claire was diagnosed, he ignored her diagnosis and spent his last months with her fighting for a cure, but now, he tells Matt that they will just “be together.” In response, Matt again mentions his fishing pole, crawling into his dad’s bed and sobbing “like the little boy he still very much [i]s” and telling his dad, “We have to fix my fishing pole” (216). The fishing pole therefore becomes a symbolic representation of their relationship.
Later, with Matt’s support, Steve decides to sacrifice himself to open the sluice doors, and in his final conversation with Matt, he explains what was wrong with his fishing pole and shows him how to correctly tie a knot, assuring him that someone will be there to help him fix it. In this scene, the fishing pole also highlights the theme of Community Strength and Resilience. Although he resisted the community’s help and support after Claire’s death, Steve finally acknowledges that the community of Waketa is there to support and help him and his family. In the final pages of the novel, the community gathers together to celebrate Steve’s life, and Dawson notes that Matt is “a child who [i]s cared for. Protected. Loved […] by an entire town, an extended community that ha[s] declared that Matt [i]s one of them” (307). With this new community support, Matt is able to face his trauma and begin to heal, and this process is hinted at when he goes fishing in honor of his father and accepts all the emotions he feels.
“Tough Choices”
Perhaps the most visible motif in Worst Case Scenario is the idea of making “tough choices” amidst the chaos of the disaster. As the town of Waketa deals with multiple crises, they are forced to decide whom to help and whom to sacrifice. This concept highlights the theme of Heroism and Leadership in Times of Crisis, as each difficult decision helps some people while harming or abandoning others.
The idea is first introduced in Chief Loftus’s speech to the Waketa Township Fire Department as they head to the plant. As he explains, “Today will be a day of tough choices. […] We will be needed everywhere. We cannot be everywhere. […] But we will not stop until the job is done” (64). These thoughts convey the grim reality that everyone in Waketa is experiencing a different version of tragedy in the wake of the plane crash and that it is impossible for the fire department to save everyone. His words become concrete just moments later when Levon, Dani, and the others encounter Connor and are forced to choose whether to help him or continue to the plant. When they speak with Loftus, he is adamant that they head to the plant and reiterates, “I told you today would be about tough choices. I’ll make this choice for you. Get your engine to the plant, now” (97). In this way, Loftus and Dani represent two different forms of heroes: those who think of individuals first and those who decisively “triage” the situation and prioritize the bigger picture.
This conflict also manifests in key interactions between Joss and Ethan. As the generators are failing and they need to decide how to start the pump, Joss tells Ethan, “This is the hard call. This is the tough choice. We can’t risk it. We have to move now” (264). Because Joss uses the same words as Loftus, the scene emphasizes the broader philosophy that saving the plant from meltdown is worth sacrificing the life of a single person. However, Ethan tries to err on the side of caution and find another way so as to avoid this sacrifice entirely. In the novel’s conclusion, as “big picture” leaders are honored alongside those who prioritized saving a single life, Newman delivers the implicit message that there is no single form of heroism. Instead, a balance is needed among people like Loftus, Joss, Ethan, and Steve, whose differing actions prove that individual lives matter just as much as the larger picture.
Redefining “Family”
Another motif in Worst Case Scenario is the use of the word “family,” which is expanded to include friends and community members as well as those who are blood related. In this way, the recurring emphasis on widespread family values explores the theme of Community Strength and Resilience, and as the drama unfolds, it is clear that the citizens of Waketa see themselves as one big family and work together to solve the crises they face.
The idea is first introduced by Reverend Michaels during his Good Friday sermon. He tells his congregation, “Family’s not just your blood. Family is your friends. Your neighbors. Family’s your coworkers” (13). Similarly, Dani later reflects on her vocation as a firefighter and thinks, “Day after day, call after call, you stand shoulder to shoulder and put your life on the line together […] you are no longer just firefighters. You’re family” (67). Both Reverend Michaels and Dani stress the importance of community connections, and all the characters work together and support each other, working to evacuate the town, distribute supplies, and bring people together.
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