54 pages • 1 hour read
Adam RexThe True Meaning of Smekday
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Important Quotes
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.
“‘I didn’t think it would be aliens,’ he mumbled. ‘I thought it would be angels with flaming swords. Something like that.’”
(Part 1, Page 4)
On Moving Day, as Tip prepares to drive to Florida, she overhears a doomsdayer talking about his vision for the apocalypse. Before the invasion, he thought the apocalypse would be a religious one, like in the Bible’s book of Revelations, evidenced by the phrase “angels with flaming swords.” Though the novel is largely humorous, this highlights that the characters are still living through dangerous apocalyptic events.
“‘How do I know you’ll do anything? You’ll probably just call your friends and cart me off to Florida.’
‘Do you not want to go to Florida? Is where your people is to be. All humans decide to move on to Florida.’
‘Hey! I don’t think we got to decide anything,’ I said.”
(Part 1, Page 24)
This quote highlights The Impact of Colonization from a Child’s Perspective. It also demonstrates the divide between J.Lo and Tip’s perspectives when they first meet. At this point, J.Lo still believes some of the HighBoov’s socialization and misinformation. Tip understands that humankind is being forcibly occupied and relocated.
“But were you excited, too? Just a little? Were you on the edge of your seat, wondering what would happen next?
And I wonder if you were a little proud. Proud to be living through something so important, something to tell your grandchildren. Did you watch yourself watching the television, making certain that you looked brave, and stoic, and just sad enough?”
(Part 2, Page 56)
Tip reflects on The Complexity of Living Through and Recording Major Historical Events. This quotation characterizes her conflicted feelings about living through major events. There is an expectation that someone would feel only fear, but Tip writes that the reality is more complex than that. She thinks people “watch [them]self” living through historical events and act in a way that they think someone should when living through tumultuous times.
