Space Case

Life on the moon comes with many challenges, especially in the ways in which the mundane aspects of day-to-day living vary from life on Earth. Dash is particularly affected by the food on the moon, which is designed to be preserved for long periods of time, rather than to be tasty or very nutritious. The food is the cause of Dash’s overhearing of Dr. Holtz’s conversation about the exciting discovery, since Dash was experiencing gastrointestinal distress after eating a particular dish. Later in the story, food becomes central in a different way as the residents receive a fresh food delivery. The freshness and quality of the foods—the tangerines and eggs, for example—serve as a stark reminder of the regular conditions on Moon Base Alpha. Dash savors the opportunity to eat a fresh tangerine, and he observes the other residents and their reactions to the delivery. Fresh food serves as both a representation of life moving forward on Earth as well as a juxtaposition to the regular conditions on the moon. For younger readers of Space Case, Dash’s perspective on the moon foods might also be a helpful window into some of the more realistic challenges of living life off of planet Earth.

Racial identity is portrayed subtly in the early chapters of Space Case, until an important revelation in Chapter 7. Lily and Patton Sjoberg are “virtually the only pure white people” (117) who Dash has ever met his own age. All the other people he knows are mixed between various racial identities; Dash has a Black father and white mother, and other adolescents on the moon base have other intersecting nationalities and ethnicities. The numerous interracial marriages reflect the emerging prediction today that people with only white racial identity will become less and less common over the next hundred years or so. Gibbs’s portrayal of the atypical nature of the Sjoberg’s whiteness establishes the possibility of this kind of reality while also portraying how jarring it would be for a mixed-race adolescent to meet people who were only one race in a world where that was wildly uncommon.

One of the most important developing themes in the novel is Dash learning the importance of Subverting Authority When Necessary, that is, in order to do what is right. This lesson is a common feature of character growth in young adult novels, as adolescents are in the process of forming their core identity and moral compass. In Dash’s case, his growth is reflected both in his feelings as well as his reactions to the events that transpire around him. Dash experiences a number of moments of confusion or nervousness, yet he keeps steering himself toward the investigation of Dr. Holtz’s death, despite being dissuaded from doing so by both his parents and Nina. In Chapter 7, Dash also confronts the Sjoberg siblings when they are bullying Roddy by stealing his hologoggles. This particular scene shows a shift in Dash’s willingness to immediately try to right a wrong: He takes the hologoggles back and defends Roddy against the Sjobergs even though Dash knows he is taking a personal risk. This increased willingness to do something that breaks the rules in order to make things right implies that Dash will continue fighting for justice on the base going forward.

Dialogue in Space Case often relates to the motif of visibility. Dialogue helps to characterize different residents on Moon Base Alpha and to push the plot forward. However, the only dialogue included is that which Dash can observe or participate in, limiting the scope of readers’ knowledge in regards to the investigation. In this way, Gibbs controls how the narrative, and the mystery, unfolds in the novel. In addition, one of the biggest tensions surrounding dialogue is that the plot takes place in a confined space in which anyone can overhear anything at any time. For example, Zan and Dash’s conversation, while it takes place in the Gibson residence, is overheard by Kira. Later, when Kira and Dash surreptitiously whisper outside of Nina’s residence, Dash worries that Kira will be seen or that they will be overheard. The symbol of the communication links is especially relevant, as conversations over the ComLinks can be overheard by anyone with security access. Dialogue is thus centered as one of the most important ways for residents to communicate, yet also one of the most fragile since it can be intercepted by almost anyone on the base. As Dash learns to become more careful about with whom and where he communicates, his investigation has to become more and more secretive, raising the stakes any time he must decide to trust an adult.