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Chapter 14
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Moon of the Crusted Snow, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Technology, Society, and Survival
Colonialism, Oppression, and Trauma
Selfishness vs. Selflessness
Gender, Power, and Wisdom
Summary
Analysis
Another heavy storm is pounding down as Walter, Terry, Evan, Isaiah, and the council members pore over the data about their supplies in the boardroom, looking stressed. Evan’s parents walk in—Dan is carrying a big pot of stew, and Walter thanks them for their thoughtfulness. Patricia laughs off the comment, explaining that their generation lived off the grid for years. Another council member looks up, telling everyone they have enough diesel to last until late February. They might be able to push that another month or two, if people are careful about their energy consumption. He recommends that they continue as normal without scaring people. Terry disagrees, saying that people deserve to know what’s going on, and that the community’s survival depends on mutual cooperation.
Rice emphasizes how helpful community-oriented thinking is in times of crisis. Dan and Patricia are chipping in to provide food for the group, which helps support them as they, in turn, plan for the wider community’s survival. This selflessness is the opposite approach to the crisis that the people in Gibson had. Terry reinforces this idea by explicitly noting that he believes cooperating as a community will best ensure their survival. Patricia bolsters the group by reassuring them with her grounded wisdom, showing once again that women are emotionally resilient and trusted figures in this community.
Themes
Terry decides to tell the community tomorrow afternoon, after they can plough the roads and prepare a community meal. There’s a secret pantry with thousands of cans stored up for a harsh winter, which they’ll use some of for the meal. There’s enough food stored to feed 500 people for two years. Everybody agrees to the plan, and they start preparing for the meeting.
Rice reinforces the idea that community-oriented thinking proves essential in the story’s wintry crisis. Such thinking has already motivated the council to prepare for everyone’s needs by amassing emergency food stores. They plan to keep acting as a community instead of hoarding the food for themselves, which will likely save many lives.
Themes
