The True Meaning of Smekday

“‘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.”

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?”

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.

“Captain Smek himself appeared on television for an official speech to humankind. (He didn’t call us humankind, of course. He called us Noble Savages of Earth. Apparently we were still living on Earth at this point.)”

Tip describes some of the events of the Boov’s colonization of Earth, showing The Impact of Colonization from a Child’s Perspective. This quotation contains an allusion to the rhetoric European colonizers used toward Indigenous people, whom they also called “Noble Savages.”

“‘They are alright,’ J.Lo said. ‘They were probably taken unto some other place instead. You should not expect such bad things of the Boov.’

They’ve done such bad things already, I thought. But I didn’t say it, because he wouldn’t understand. History is written by the winners, so they say.”

This quotation characterizes the dissonance between Tip and J.Lo at the beginning of the novel. This highlights The Nature of Cross-Cultural Understanding since they eventually come to understand each other well. At this point, however, J.Lo doesn’t have a moral perspective on the Boovs’ actions. This is why Tip “didn’t say it,” knowing J.Lo “wouldn’t understand.” This quotation also connects to The Complexity of Living Through and Recording Major Historical Events, as Tip thinks about the ideological and subjective nature of recorded history.

“My face grew hot, and the tears choked out of me like I was sick. My heart was broken, had been for five months, and I couldn’t keep it together anymore.”

This quotation characterizes Tip. Tip is often brave and clever, and she rarely shows large displays of emotions. This is one of the few moments she is overwhelmed by the responsibilities she is forced to carry, living alone through an extraterrestrial invasion. The simile “the tears choked out of me like I was sick” and her face becoming hot depict this overwhelm.

“‘It is a Gorg ship,’ said J.Lo. ‘It is the Gorg. They have come now to take Smekland for their own. The Boov will fight them, but the Boov will lose. And…andit…it is alls my fault.”

This quotation introduces a plot twist in the action of the novel. The Boov are not the only extraterrestrial invaders; they usher in the more violent and aggressive Gorg. This quotation also characterizes J.Lo. Though there are many reasons J.Lo breaks from Boovish society, one of the reasons is due to the shame he feels for accidentally broadcasting their location to the Gorg, evidenced by the phrase, “it is alls my fault.” J.Lo’s stuttering—“and…andit” emphasizes how he struggles to articulate this shame.

“Before we came, Captain Smek and the HighBoovs telled us that the humans needed us. That the humans were just like the animals and that we could to make them better. Teach to them. We were told the humans were nasty and backwards. It…it is what we thought.”

This quotation characterizes J.Lo and supports The Nature of Cross-Cultural Understanding. J.Lo is beginning to deprogram himself from the misinformation propagated by the HighBoov—namely the idea that “humans were nasty and backwards.” They do so to convince their populace it is their moral imperative to colonize Earth. This quotation also shows The Impact of Colonization from a Child’s Perspective, as it has parallels to rhetorical strategies colonial governments used to depict real-world colonization as a moral and ethical venture.

“J.Lo and I managed to explain a lot about to each other about humans and Boov. He didn’t understand, for example, about families. I began to get why he never seemed to think Mom’s abduction was as big a deal as I did.”

This quotation informs The Nature of Cross-Cultural Understanding. While the Boov and humans more broadly do not develop understanding, J.Lo and Tip do. This proves that there are no inherent barriers between Boov and humans. J.Lo and Tip each learn about the other’s society and history, and they start to understand how and why the other thinks the way they do.

“1,002 years ago—Many Boov are very sick. The waters no longer hold life. The HighBoov declare that it is our Grand Destiny to live instead on the land. All Boov play a game of Touch the Tree from which there is no returning. Some die of asphyxiation. Most don’t.

1,001 years ago—Life on land is hard. The Boov do not know how to live. The Forgotten find the Boov in great distress, and show them the ways of land. The Forgotten are different, now. Their skin is darker grey, and their speech has changed. They have built a new world for themselves.

1,000.8 years ago—The Forgotten are kindly asked to leave, because the Forgotten Are Needed Elsewhere.”

J.Lo recounts the history of the Boov. The parallels between Boov’s history and human history aid The Impact of Colonization from a Child’s Perspective. “Grand Destiny” is like the American idea of “Manifest Destiny.” Just as the Boov gain knowledge necessary for survival from the Forgotten and then forsake them, Indigenous Americans helped early colonists survive but were still subject to colonial violence and displacement.

“When the Nimrogs first began to reach out to other worlds, it was often to take, and sometimes to trade. When the wars ended at home the Nimrogs, now all Gorg, took to policing other planets. They would attack worlds that they decided had bad governments, in order to free the people living there. But many noticed that they were really only invading planets known to have good restaurants.”

J.Lo describes the colonial activities of the Gorg, contributing to The Impact of Colonization from a Child’s Perspective. He outlines the justifications people make for colonialism: “to take” and “to trade” resources, to overthrow local governments, and to appropriate things like food.

“‘I didn’t “forget” the crash of ‘85,’ she said. ‘You know how I feel about it. The evidence points to a government thought-control dirigible, not to—’

‘The evidence,’ said Vicki, ‘to anyone who isn’t too blind to see it, is that the indwells and outwells of energy from the earth’s hollow core create—’

‘Whoa, hey. I know. I know what you’re saying, but you fail to—’

They went back and forth about it.”

This exchange between Vicki and Kat is typical of the Roswellians, who believe in many conspiracy theories. With her conspiracies, Vicki makes up her own history and imposes it onto the land she is on. In doing so, she denies the real history of Chief’s experience as someone who had the land of his and his ancestors taken away.

“His head was covered by a faded red cap with flaps and a strap that hung down past his ears. It looked like something a pilot might have worn long ago. He otherwise wore the same clothes as anybody else—no buckskin or beads or anything. I’m probably an idiot for even mentioning that.”

This description of Chief juxtaposes his real appearance with the stereotypical version of him the Roswellians have created. The quote contributes to The Nature of Cross-Cultural Understanding. Just as Tip realized the Boov are “just people,” various human groups are also “just people,” not their stereotypical representations.

“‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this,’ Vicki creaked. ‘My aliens don’t push people around and cause families to break up, make people move and desert their wives and daughters! My aliens are nicer.’”

Though Vicki has many characteristics of an antagonist, she also has a sad and sympathetic backstory. This quote characterizes her, specifically why she clings so tightly to Tip and J.Lo. Her husband “deserted” her and her daughter, so she tries to stop them from leaving as well.

“Later, I’d wish the Chief had stayed hidden, but at the time all I felt was relief. If my thoughts could have formed words they’d have said, Please, treat me like a child. Come save me.”

When Vicki calls Tip a child earlier, Tip finds it belittling. However, Tip is often burdened with responsibility beyond her years, and here, she longs to be treated as a child. Though she is very self-sufficient, when she is in true danger from the Gorg, she wants help from the adults around her and wishes they would “come save” her.

“‘The telecloners can make a healthy milk shake. Has everything you need.’

‘That’s nice of them,’ I said. ‘Nice of the Boov.’ And the crazy thing was, I really meant it. The Boov had invaded our planet, erased our monuments, taken our homes, and dumped us in a state they didn’t want, and I was already so used to the whole idea that it seemed like a sweet gesture that they hadn’t left us to starve in the dark.”

Tip has the shocking realization that she is growing used to the dehumanizing circumstances the Boov put humans through while colonizing Earth. One strategy of colonizers is to normalize their supremacy and violence, which Tip realizes when she thinks “Nice of the Boov,” despite their invasion, erasure, taking, and dumping.

“‘He thinks Indians like me ought to live somewhere else. Likes to tell me about it a lot.’

I didn’t really want to talk about Mr. Hinkel.

‘Well, maybe they’ll let him go soon.’

‘Doubt it,’ said the Chief. ‘Got beat up pretty good by someone who thinks gay people like him ought to live somewhere else.’”

Chief discusses Mr. Hinkel, the man with whom he shares a hospital room. This quote shows The Nature of Cross-Cultural Understanding, specifically how humans lack it. Hinkel experiences prejudice and violence because he is gay. Despite this, he perpetuates prejudice and violence against other marginalized people, telling Chief that “Indians” like him should live elsewhere.

“He coughed a bit. I don’t mean anything ominous by that—in movies and stories, people only ever couch to foreshadow them getting really sick or dying or something.”

This quotation shows The Complexity of Living Through and Recording Major Historical Events. Though Tip intends to keep her diary private until after her death, she is still hyper-aware that it will be scrutinized and analyzed by people at some point.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever bought that whole America-as-Melting-Pot thing, but now that the whole melting pot had been dumped in Arizona’s lap, I thought we might all mingle a little more. No.

The city of Payson was now something like ninety-nine percent white. There were really large numbers of senior citizens in places like Green Valley, Sun City, and Prescott. Prescott had been renamed AARPtopia, for some reason. Environmentalist and hippie types were living around Flagstaff […] nearly all the Mormons in America had relocated from the northern border to a town called Mesa, around which they were building a very strong wall to keep out Phoenix.

Phoenix was apparently this shaky military dictatorship ruled by a warlord who called himself Beloved Leader the Angel of Death Sir Magnifico Excellente.”

As a young biracial Black girl, Tip has a realistic perspective on social injustice in the United States, causing her to grow disillusioned in “that whole America-as-Melting-Pot thing.” This quotation shows one feature of apocalyptic scenarios: social degradation or dissolution. Rather than an extraterrestrial invasion bringing human communities together, human communities in the United States grow more divided. Tip describes this segregation by describing the different demographics of Arizona cities, where uniformity in residents exists over diverse populations.

“‘Is this Dan guy an Indian?’

‘I don’t think so, no. I’m pretty sure he’s white. He wasn’t a governor or anything before, but he’s really rich, so I imagine he’s a good leader.’

‘Uh-huh. But he’s white,’ I said. ‘The Indians elected a white guy?’

‘Well…I don’t know. I imagine all the other people elected him. It’s mostly white folks living on the reservation now.’

I frowned. ‘And the Indians are okay with this?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well…it was a reservation,’ I said. ‘It was land we promised to the Native Americans. Forever.’

Mitch looked at me like I was speaking in tongues. ‘But…we needed it.’”

This quotation highlights The Impact of Colonization from a Child’s Perspective and the irony Tip notices. The United States government officials scorn the idea of “Human Preserves” or moving the preserve from Florida to Arizona because the Boov discovered oranges. However, they turn around and do the same thing to marginalized communities like the Indigenous population, who have been experiencing colonial violence for over 500 years. Tip notices this hypocrisy in a white elected official representing an Indigenous reservation, land native to these populations, whose residents are now mostly “white folks.” The phrase “But…we needed it” further underscores this violent acquisition of Indigenous reservations’ land.

“‘I’m not surprised your mom is off doing something or other,’ said Mrs. Hoegaarden. ‘She always is.’

‘Some men I met talked about her like…she was some kind of local hero,’ I said, wondering if that was the right word.

‘Oh my! Well, I suppose. Why not? She’s just been such a big help to everybody, you know.’”

Mrs. Hoegaarden’s words characterize Lucy, Tip’s mom. Tip is used to her mom being irresponsible. However, after her abduction, Lucy stepped into a position of responsibility, changed her past tendencies, and began helping people. This quote shows her character arc, making her a dynamic character.

“‘So what can I do for the kids of the Airport District?’ Landry asked, like he was on TV. ‘We’re looking to build some sports parks and playgrounds in the area. And there’s the big fireworks show tonight.’

‘Actually,’ I said, glad to be asked, ‘I was wondering what people were doing to get rid of the Gorg. We can help.’

Mom looked startled, but Landry laughed a big belly laugh.”

This quotation characterizes Landry, one of the novel’s human antagonists. Landry is an ostentatious, showboating leader of the Tucson area. The things he states he is doing for the community—“sports parks,” “playgrounds,” and a “big fireworks show”—won’t help anyone resist the Boov or Gorg. As a result, they seem like distractions. He asks Tip how he can help her, but when she gives him a serious answer, he laughs at her. This highlights his failure to grasp the gravity of the Gorg’s threat.

“‘I will also be careful,’ he said. ‘I am promising, because I do not want Tip to lose Tipmom again, on account I know all about families, and know that LucyTucci made Tip and took care of her and did not just lay her egg and leave it in the streets for others.’

Mom gazed into my face like she was in a trance. I smiled a little.

‘And Tip has also in my opinions been very brave, having only eleven years but wanting to find her Mom so much she had to drive and get shot upon and also beat me up once. Which could not be helped.’”

This quotation characterizes J.Lo and shows The Nature of Cross-Cultural Understanding. J.Lo is the only Boov in the novel who takes time to understand human society. His understanding of things like families enriches his life. J.Lo’s defense of Tip’s bravery and perseverance in finding Lucy endears him to Lucy, who starts accepting him as family.

“‘I’m only saying it would be harder. And you could give us a lot of help getting rid of the Gorg, knowing what you know.’

J.Lo paused with his hands in the water. I suddenly felt like I was standing very strangely, so I shifted my weight to the other leg, but it didn’t feel any better. The house was hot. I could feel it in my face.

‘It seems,’ said J.Lo, ‘it seems it would be the best if I stayed. There are some things here to do. I can be a help to my family.’”

Though Tip and J.Lo have yet to fight the Gorg, in many ways, this functions as the novel’s emotional climax. J.Lo decides that his true family is Tip, Lucy, and Pig. He wants to stay on Earth even if the rest of the Boov leave, as he can still “be a help” to his new “family.”