Content Warning: The analysis of Quotations 5, 6, and 8 contain references to violence and drug addiction.

“Bad way to go […] Thirsty. In the dark. Alone.”

Death is a constant consideration for the young ship breakers, but Tick Tock’s short and succinct account of Jackson Boy’s demise foreshadows both Nailer’s predicament in the oil reservoir and Nita’s situation on her clipper ship. The image of Jackson Boy haunts Nailer throughout the novel and motivates him to err on the side of morality instead of simply survival.

“Nailer balanced on the ledge, on the edge of decision. Live or die, he thought. Live or die. He dove.”

Most of the scavengers believe in the idea of fate: that their lives are predetermined and that there is nothing they can do to circumvent their destiny. Nailer’s decision to try to survive is based in part on fate, as he knows that if he stays, he will die anyway. However, he refuses to just wait on the ledge and see if fate has other plans for him. The metaphor of balancing on the edge of life and death during key decisions recurs throughout the novel, and his decisions to take the risk nearly always pay off.

“Nailer shook his head. ‘I don’t believe in Fates.’ But he said it quietly, low enough that she wouldn’t hear. If Fates existed, they’d put him with his dad, and that meant they were bad news. Better to think life was random than to think the world was out to get you.”

Nailer realizes that believing in fate means that his life is controlled by a higher power that doesn’t seem to have his best interests at heart. By refusing to believe that his life is already mapped out, he gives himself a chance to shape his own destiny.