Blowout Literary Elements

Non-fiction exposé.

Various places around the world, mostly in Russia and the United States.

Third person. The narrative perspective of the book definitely reflects the author.

The tone and mood also strongly reflects that of the author. Reading the book, one can easily hear Maddow’s voice in their head if they are familiar with her nightly hosting duties on her MSNBC television show. Sincere outrage infused with ironic observation.

Protagonist: Science, selflessness and purity of purpose. Antagonist: Big Oil, corrupt politicians, and profit-driven self-interest.

The conflict at the heart of the book is that between oil industry interests and the future of the planet.

Although not technically a “climax” the book draws to a close with apparent suicide of Chesapeake Energy founder Aubrey McClendon the day after he was indicted on corruption charges.

The book opens with Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin’s official three-day visit to America climaxing with a summit meeting with Pres. Bush. Right in the middle of this visit, however, Putin attends the grand opening of a very small-scale business venture by a Russian oil company. This anecdote foreshadows the unexpected reach and influence of the major players in Big Oil and Gas around the world that is explored in detail throughout the book.

“Carter Page had a tendency to make a lot of words, but rarely herded them toward any discernible meaning.” Page was a Trump advisor notorious for being under surveillance by the FBI whose appearances on cable news talk shows more than confirms that Maddow is being profoundly understated in this description.

Herman Melville’s classic novel about whaling, Moby-Dick, is alluded to as part of the history of civilization’s dependence upon and eventual depletion of energy sources.

The book in a nutshell of imagery: “The oil and gas industry—left to its own devices—will mindlessly follow its own nature. It will make tons of money. It will corrode and corrupt and sabotage democratic governance. It will screw up and—in the end—fatally injure the whole freaking planet.”

“Okay, America. Note to self: Do not drink frack fluid. Good advice. Someone tell the cows. And the neighbors.” Aubrey McClendon’s sarcasm here represents his paradoxical stand on the safety of fracking fluid: the chemicals solution is not safe enough to drink, but presents no safety hazard to surrounding groundwater.

“They depend on cheating. Putin and his minions cheat at the financial markets. They cheat at the Olympics. They cheat at their own fake democracy. They cheat other people out of their democracies.”

“Big Oil and Gas” is a term used to describe the entire expanse of business and political interests in maintaining worldwide dependence upon non-renewable energy sources and an unsustainable business strategy.

Corporations are not just people legally, but genetically in this example of personification comparing the business practices of Standard Oil to inherited traits now practiced by its industrial progeny: “Standard DNA is shot through the oil industry, as are Standard’s dominant traits”