The Compound

The Compound is implied to take place in a world dominated by the effects of climate change and the threat of extreme climate events. While this threat largely exists in the novel’s background, references to environmental change, coupled with symbolic elements like the bushfires, suggest a reading of the novel as a critique of climate inaction. 

Lily’s decision to join the show is implied to stem partly from climate anxiety. Lily explains that she was exhausted by “constantly living on the periphery of disaster, just waiting and waiting and waiting for it to finally reach [her]” (200). Though she does not specify what “disaster” she anticipates, descriptions of her surroundings hint at environmental devastation. For example, when Lily first arrives at the compound, she is shocked by the color of the sky, which is “clear, entirely untouched by clouds or smog, with no tall buildings to block out great chunks of it, nor artificial lights to disguise its hues” (10). This description suggests that Lily lives in a world where overpopulation and industry have permanently changed the climate in certain cities. Rather than “continue to boil, slowly but surely, in the mess that [people] pretend[] [is] an acceptable place to live” (154), Lily thus opts to move to the compound rather than face the reality of climate change.