Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre

“Okay, duh, but you told me to not stop, not edit, not erase and go back. Which is why you encouraged paper and pen. No backspace key. ‘Just keep writing.’ Okay. Whatever. We’re here.”

This early passage from Kate’s journal hints at her overreliance on therapy for guidance. The informal address to “you” suggests an assumed reader, someone Kate has a real relationship with and who encouraged her journaling. The references to past advice suggest that Kate looks up to this person and corrects her own behavior according to their advice. In her journaling, at least, Kate relinquishes her agency to favor the sanction of an external authority so that she can similarly relinquish accountability for her errors. This passage thus helps characterize Kate as a passive person.

“TONY: […] Levittown was exclusive; Greenloop is inclusive. Levittown wanted to divide people. Greenloop wants to unite them. Levittown wanted to separate humans from the natural world. Greenloop wants to reintroduce them.

RYSSDAL: But most people can’t afford to live in this type of community.”

Brooks uses an allusion to the real-world Levittown to provide a reference point for imagining Greenloop. By contrasting the two communities, Tony can sell Greenloop as a corrective for its predecessor’s social mistakes. However, radio show host Ryssdal raises an important point that betrays the inaccessibility of Tony’s eco-sustainable vision. The lack of affordability suggests that comfortable sustainability, while ideal, is still a privilege, which highlights one of Greenloop’s central flaws.