“Before the COVID lockdown, three or four of the ocean liners would arrive every day, unloading thousands and thousands of tourists. They stalked through Old Town like an army of loudly dressed zombies, loading up on rum drinks and cheap T-shirts.”

The hyperbolic phrase “thousands and thousands” stresses the overwhelming number of people arriving on the cruise ships; the simile comparing them to “loudly dressed zombies” conveys how out of place they seem—they are visually jarring in their loud clothing and move like a herd of monsters eager to devour. The aggressive connotation of the verb “stalk” portray the tourists as an invading force whose objective is not to appreciate the culture of the area but to “[load] up on rum drinks and cheap T-shirts.” Their approach is the opposite of What It Means to Belong to a Place as they do not care about the negative impacts they are having on Key West’s Old Town.

“When he runs out of bait, he stows his tackle and sits back to watch red-throated frigate birds hassle the gulls. Every so often a loggerhead turtle as wide as a boulder pops up in the waves and takes a raspy breath.”

Wrecker’s deep love of the sea is communicated often in passages like this. Descriptive details—such as the “red-throated” birds and the “raspy breathing” of the loggerheads—create a vivid image of the natural scene and focuses attention on the wildlife that Wrecker has learned to love. Casual diction like “hassle” and “pops up” contributes to an upbeat tone and conveys a sense of friendly energy passing among the living creatures in the scene.

“In a lull between gusts, a sound rises from the graveyard—a soft melody wavering like the call of a lonesome bird.”

The simile comparing the black-haired girl’s singing to birdsong foreshadows the romantic relationship that will arise between Wrecker and Willie. Wrecker does not yet know it, but the black-haired girl is actually Willi in a wig; comparing her to a bird aligns her with the wildlife that Wrecker loves, making her song a beacon of beauty in the forlorn atmosphere of the graveyard.

“You wasted five hundred bucks on a bunch of snowflake treehuggers?”

Silver Mustache is shocked and angry that Wrecker has given the money he paid him to Friends of Blue Waters. This characterizes Silver Mustache as greedy and self-centered, because he cannot imagine a “cause” more important than self-interest. His diction—calling the group “snowflakes” and “treehuggers”—indicates a conservative political viewpoint that derides environmentalist activism. This makes Silver Mustache’s perspective the polar opposite of that held by characters like Wrecker and Suzanne, making it clear early on that he is an antagonist.

“Nobody’s fault but his. Being shy is no defense for being rude.”

Wrecker feels bad that his shyness has prevented him from responding to Willi’s texts in the past. Even though he has an explanation for his rudeness, he does not use it as an excuse—he understands that being uncomfortable does not give him the right to hurt others’ feelings. This characterizes Wrecker as both mature and deeply ethical—qualities that differentiate him from most of the adults in his world and make him aware of The Importance of Caring for Others.

“‘You’re not wearing shoes, Valdez.’

‘I can run faster this way.’

‘A true island boy.’”

While Quantraine is an outsider to Key West, Wrecker is a Conch through-and-through. As Wrecker runs barefoot, his skin literally in contact with the earth of Key West, while Quantraine drives away in his imported luxury car, sheltered from the local environment. As the novel shows a physical detail of What It Means to Belong to a Place, it suggests that Quantraine is a privileged invader in Key West who does not have its best interests at heart the way Wrecker does.

“‘You’re braver than I am,’ Wrecker says, ‘at least when it comes to singing.’”

Although Wrecker is angry at his father, he compliments Valdez VII on the courage it takes to perform. Wrecker is a fair person who acknowledges the good even in people who have wronged him. He is not afraid, however, to also make clear how little he thinks of his father’s choice to abandon the family, since his compliment only applies “when it comes to singing.” Wrecker would never do something as cowardly as walking out on a wife and small child; he has the courage of his convictions and is brave enough to do what is right.

“He’s sitting by himself in the cafeteria at lunch hour. The alone part is fine, but the food isn’t. Some sort of mystery meat, drowned in mud-colored gravy.”

Wrecker does not mind being by himself, but at school, he is out of his preferred environment. In contrast to the serene, beautiful imagery he observes when he is out on the ocean, lunch in the cafeteria is dreary and off-putting. Pejorative diction like “mystery” and “drowned,” in combination with the image of “mud-colored gravy,” conveys how disgusting Wrecker finds the food, and by extension how oppressive school itself.

“He can’t help thinking about his great-great-great-great-grandfather, who had no such advantages when exploring the pitch-black hold of the Allerton, in waters twice as deep.”

As he dives the wreck of the purple go-fast, Wrecker is aware of the continuity of his family history and of how circumstances have changed over time. He does not have to dive as deep or forage with as much skill as his ancestors. His admiration for his great-great-great-great-grandfather shows in the Wrecker’s description and references: the dangers of the “pitch-black hold” and his ancestor’s association with the well-known shipwreck of the Isaac Allerton.

“Merchandise? Wrecker thinks. This guy talks like he wants to be the next Scarface.”

Although Wrecker is very aware of the danger Quantraine represents, he is also intelligent enough to see that some of the man’s self-presentation is a deliberate act to make himself seem intimidating. Wrecker’s scornful allusion to the 1983 gangster film Scarface indicates that he thinks Quantraine’s demeanor is like a caricature of film and television gangsters.

“Silver Mustache is panting like a plow horse as he crutches through the dark.”

The simile comparing Quantraine to a panting “plow horse” diminishes him, showing Wrecker’s disdain. Turns the noun “crutch” into a verb reinforces Quantraine’s ungainly movements through Wrecker’s sardonic sense of humor, contributing to the book’s often humorous tone. Quantraine’s eagerness to get to Vachs’s crypt quickly, despite his current injuries, foreshadows the later revelation that the crypt holds not a body but his stash of cash.

“Keeping Willi safe […] is a crucial part of the brilliant plan that Wrecker should have laid out by now, the plan to free himself from the smuggler’s web.”

Wrecker’s sarcastic characterization of his non-existent plan as “brilliant” indicates how frustrated he is, because he takes his duty to keep Willi safe very seriously. Instead of feeling like a savvy protector, however, he feels like an insect trapped in a spider “web.” Wrecker worries that each move he makes to try to escape only leaves him more thoroughly ensnared.

“I should’ve listened to you and Suzanne […] It’s like I failed the world’s easiest IQ test.”

Roger’s analogy comparing getting the COVID vaccine to an easy IQ test is facetious; he uses humor to distance himself from his embarrassment and the seriousness of the risk he took by not getting vaccinated. His regret underscores how important COVID vaccines are and highlights what a dangerous game Quantraine and his customers are playing with their forged vaccination cards. Roger’s choices show that he is an ineffective role model, emphasizing the importance of Establishing Independence from Problematic Parents.

“The canon booms of thunder began when he got to Sarah Chillingwood’s grave, and now the whole tropical sky is pulsing. No rain yet, though it’s rolling in fast from the Gulf; Wrecker can taste it.”

Sense imagery conveys the natural grandeur of the approaching storm. We hear the “canon booms of thunder,” see the storm clouds “pulsing,” and even “taste” the ozone-flavored air. Wrecker’s actions show his belief in The Importance of Caring for Others. Despite knowing that a big storm is “rolling in fast,” Wrecker stays to clean Sarah’s gravesite. He is no longer being paid to do so, but he still feels responsible for caring for Mr. Riley and Sarah.

“It was when the policeman called him ‘boy’ that Wrecker lost interest in being polite. He was keenly aware what that word was intended to mean.”

In an interaction laced with racist remarks, Officer Nugent addresses Wrecker with a word historically used as an insult to demean Black men. Wrecker has never before been the target of aggressive racism. This encounter with Nugent is made more tense and suspenseful by the novel’s historical exploration of violent racism aimed at Black members of Key West’s community and by the fact that Nugent is an adult police officer with the power to seriously harm Wrecker.

“He straightens up and says ‘It’s Mr. Breakwater himself.’

‘What happened to plain old “Dad”?’

‘Funny, that’s the same question I asked Mom all those years: “What happened to Dad?”’”

As part of Establishing Independence from Problematic Parents, Wrecker expresses scorn for the way his father has behaved—both his abandonment of the family and his reinvention of himself as “Austin Breakwater.” Wrecker pointedly does not call Valdez VII “dad,” obviously emphasizing Valdez VII’s broken relationships with Wrecker and Key West. When his father protests, Wrecker exploits the double meaning of Valdez VII has said—showing both Wrecker’s quick wit and continuing anger.

“This is wrecking in reverse, he thinks on the way down, sinking something valuable instead of raising it.”

Wrecker is aware of the irony of his situation: He is the descendent of well-known salvage divers, but instead of diving to retrieve items of value, he is diving to rid himself of something of value. The scene echoes his first dive, in Chapter 10. Then, he brought the criminal gang’s packages to the surface, further embroiling himself in their activities. Now, he hides the gang’s money below the surface. The reversal foreshadows Wrecker eventually disentangling himself from Silver Mustache and his men.

“She squints at the car’s headlights like a confused old opossum.”

The comical simile comparing Miss Bascomb to an opossum suggests that her advanced age dulls her mind to the level of a small animal’s. That Miss Bascomb is not alert enough to be angry and worried that Willi is driving demonstrates that she is not really up to the job of supervising Willi. That Willi’s parents would leave her alone with Miss Bascomb so much of the time is evidence of their problematic parenting.

“First they thought that one of their cops was involved. That hammerhead they just hired from Arizona—Nedrick Nugent? […] I know Nugent, and trust me, he’s not smart enough to smuggle fungus under his toenails! That’s the same jerk who tried to shut down one of our Blue Water rallies.”

Suzanne portrays Nugent as an aggressive dolt. “Hammerhead” is slang for someone who is hard-headed and of low intelligence—a meaning that Suzanne emphasizes with her humorous and hyperbolic claim that he is “not smart enough to smuggle fungus under his toenails.” Nugent has tried to interfere with Friends of Blue Waters—another way in which this outsider stands in the way of what is best for Key West. The novel’s portrayal of Nugent makes it feel satisfying for readers that the police initially suspected Nugent of being involved with the smugglers and that Van Zorn promises to fire him.

“Just like a model citizen, Wrecker thinks.”

Wrecker’s sarcastic thoughts about Quantraine reinforce The Importance of Caring for Others. Wrecker is disgusted by Quantraine’s hypocrisy: Quantraine drives dangerously fast while he is too far from town to get caught, but where there are police cars, he slows down and obeys every traffic law. He is smuggling fake vaccination cards, but he brags about how he and his underlings are vaccinated for COVID. Unlike Wrecker, Quantraine is only interested in appearing to be a good citizen.

“Don’t tell me that nobody in your righteous family tree ever smuggled anything on or off this island. Key freakin’ West? It’s tradition here, dude. A legacy, whether you like it or not.”

An important part of Wrecker’s coming of age is learning to accept that Key West’s culture and history have bad parts as well as good. For instance, he has avoided thinking about his rum smuggler ancestor, choosing instead to focus on ancestors who were salvage divers. Quantraine’s pointed comments about Wrecker’s family history push Wrecker to contend with the darker side of his family’s legacy.

“Wrecker has no explanation for his state of calmness when he’s at the cemetery, surrounded by the dead.”

Both Quantraine and Wrecker find it odd that Wrecker is so comfortable in the cemetery, even alone at night. Wrecker’s unusual attitude exemplifies What It Means to Belong to a Place by showing that to him, the cemetery’s atmosphere is not frightening or depressing. Instead, he feels at peace there, surrounded by Key West’s history.

“Wrecker feels clear-eyed and free sitting beside her, shoulder to shoulder, skimming across satin waters.”

After Wrecker and Willi see their plan put into effect, he feels free and clear-minded for the first time in months. This is due to the presence of Willi in his life—she is a reliable partner who brings comfort when he’s “sitting beside her, shoulder to shoulder.” This marks a significant change for Wrecker, who has always been a dedicated loner. He still takes comfort in being isolated in nature, as the evocative descriptive detail “satin waters” suggests, but now he is pleased to share the experience with another person—Willi.