Worst Case Scenario

Matt’s fishing pole is a symbol that represents his relationship with his father. The fishing pole is first mentioned when Steve explains to his son that he must risk his life by entering the spent fuel pool. They have an awkward interaction wherein Steve recognizes the distance that has grown between them since Claire’s death. Steve tries to ameliorate the situation by reassuring Matt that he will make things better at home, and Matt replies that Steve said the same thing about his fishing pole. When Steve has “absolutely no idea what Matt [i]s talking about” (176), he realizes that he had completely forgotten about his tradition of going fishing with Matt and laments, “That’s how distant, how unpresent, he’d been for his son” (177). This reaction conveys the disconnect that has occurred between Steve and Matt in the wake of Claire’s death, exemplifying the theme of Navigating the Temptation to Ignore Trauma. Thus far, Steve has avoided processing her death, and he openly admits that he commits his life to work instead of spending time with his son or grieving for his wife.

However, Steve undergoes a change when he is exposed to radiation and knows that he is going to die.