Chad Renner Full Body Burden (chapter 1)

My initial impression of this novel was that this was not going to be an exhilarating story. Moreover I felt that this novel would merely be a tale of a woman whose childhood was irrevocably altered by the malpractice of nearby nuclear plant. However the quote by Rachel Carson, which prefaced the novel, seemed to imbue the novel with a greater philosophic context and perhaps hinted at what Iversen’s purpose for writing the novel actually was. Furthermore if one examines the first part of the chapter I think it illustrates another underlying theme in the novel. As Iversen and her family were returning home one evening they discovered that a part of their house was on fire. Her parent responded accordingly and the fire was extinguished. Yet after this incident you would presume that Iversen’s parents would have been disturbed or at the very least unsettled by the fire. However they seemed strangely imperturbable and simply brushed off the incident. It is apparent from this incident, and her parent’s clandestine alcohol use, that Iversen’s parents are masters of deception. Frequently throughout the first chapter Iversen admits there are certain topics which no one discusses or mentions in her parent’s household. In addition throughout the chapter Iversen shifts the story from what is essentially her memoir to the nearby nuclear plant. Specifically the veil of secrecy regarding what is truly produced at the plant (which most of the employees are even unaware of) and the implications of its toxic waste on the surrounding communities. Therefore it seems to me that the most prevalent theme in this novel is deception and I suppose Iversen will attempt to reveal this deception.