Chomp

Carl Hiaasen

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2012

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-9

Chapters 10-14

Chapters 15-19

Chapters 20-24

Chapter 25-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Themes

The Unreality of Reality TV

The disconnect between reality and reality TV provides Carl Hiaasen with a ripe source of satire, and he employs many stereotypes in the narrative to capitalize on this theme. While any reality TV program must necessarily rely on some degree of artifice, Hiaasen’s narrative glories in exaggeration as he creates absurd depictions of Expedition Survival! and its egotistical star. The chasm between what the show depicts and what is happening behind the scenes is wide indeed. While the show portrays Derek Badger as a lone adventurer navigating a different untamed wilderness every week, the star is in fact surrounded by a film crew and a helicopter that airlifts him to a luxury hotel every night. Most of his life-or-death struggles with nature are carefully choreographed, and far from subsisting on whatever nature has to offer, he enjoys meals that are served by a caterer. The supposedly lean and fit adventurer is actually a flabby, pampered child, and by extension, everything about Expedition Survival! is the antithesis of reality.

To this end, Hiaasen gleefully exaggerates the superficiality of the “reality” TV production process, creating scenarios that highlight the unscrupulous thread of greed that runs through the industry. For example, although Derek’s near-fatal encounter with Alice threatens to scuttle the entire episode, the producers realize that the footage comes across as exciting rather than foolhardy, so the sequence soon becomes the centerpiece of the show’s most highly rated episode. Thus, Hiaasen demonstrates that the “reality” of Expedition Survival!—as with all reality TV—is created through meticulous editing and targeted filming, and the audience only sees what the director, producer, and editor choose to show. Ironically, the only authentic moment of the Everglades episode is Badger’s delirium-crazed attack on Jared Gordon, and because it is truly spontaneous, it is never caught on camera. In his playful indictment of the flaws of reality TV, Hiaasen pokes fun at Hollywood’s self-importance and at the popularity of “staged reality.”

The Importance of Respecting the Natural World

Responsible stewardship of the environment is a theme that runs through much of Hiaasen’s work. To that end, the vast and unique ecosystem of the Everglades takes center stage in Chomp, and the narrative’s protagonist Mickey Cray assumes the role of caretaker and protector, pitting his will against those who are more inclined toward exploiting wildlife rather than protecting it. Due to his profession, Mickey understands the perils of nature, and despite enduring a few superficial injuries, he is far more respectful of his animals than the grasping production crew. Although he claims that Alice wouldn’t hurt a fly, the unspoken implication of this assertion is that she must be treated cautiously and with respect. Mickey never forgets that she is a wild animal, and he fears that Badger will be seriously injured as a result of his reckless behavior. Mickey and Badger therefore serve as foils, for Mickey has a healthy deference for nature while Badger mistakenly believes that his survivalist image will magically impart the necessary skills to handle an alligator or a python. In many ways, his farcical difficulties in the Everglades act as a much-needed comeuppance, and it is only by experiencing the harshness of the wilderness for himself that he finally learns to respect his environment.

Tucked within the rollicking adventure tale are several educational moments, for Hiaasen makes it a point to highlight various types of environmental neglect that plague his home state. Chief amongst these is the practice of introducing nonnative species into foreign environments. The topic is so important to the author that he periodically steps out of the narrative to deliver brief biology lessons. For example, Mickey’s absurd head injury from falling iguana is a roundabout way to illustrate the fact that the Everglades have become the home of countless nonnative iguanas, a fecund species that adapts and reproduces rapidly. With the introduction of this point, Hiaasen emphasizes that exotic animal dealers are concerned only with profit and care nothing for preserving fragile native ecosystems; thus, Hiaasen is careful to lay the blame where it belongs. Similarly, he highlights the invasive nature of the Burmese pythons who also ravage the Everglades ecosystem, flatly stating, “The pythons weren’t supposed to be there; Southeast Asia was their natural home” (23). His objective here is not only to entertain but to inform. Education is his weapon in the battle for the preservation of the natural world, and he wields it with both humor and urgency.

The Complexities of Problematic Parenting

In the midst of the adventure-themed narrative, Hiaasen makes it a point to examine the effects of parenting styles that range from the eccentric to the downright abusive, and in the characters of Wahoo and Tuna, he explores the ways in which the children of different households adapt to the unique pressures and dangers that surround them. Both Wahoo and Tuna are raised in less-than-conventional settings, but their respective family dynamics couldn’t be more different. While Wahoo roams the family compound and tends to the wild animals—often unsupervised—Tuna lives in an RV parked outside a Walmart, and both settings are less than ideal. Although Mickey Cray asserts that his animals are docile, they are still wild, and Wahoo’s missing thumb stands as evidence of the physical dangers that he faces every day. One wrong move can turn a placid animal into an aggressive predator in seconds. Yet rather than lamenting his injury, Wahoo adopts an attitude of pragmatic acceptance, knowing that it was a result of his own carelessness, for any animal can revert to its wild nature at the slightest provocation. Thus, this mishap is meant to indicate that Mickey has taught his son to respect the natural world, and this lesson helps to mold Wahoo into a responsible young man whose maturity outstrips that of his father in some cases. Ultimately, the Cray family’s laissez-faire approach to parenting may have resulted in some hard lessons, but both parents love and support their son despite their flaws.

If Wahoo is the healthy by-product of less restrictive parenting, Tuna represents the other end of the spectrum, for although she too is strong and self-sufficient, her life lessons are derived from navigating her father’s alcohol addiction and physical abuse. Mickey’s parenting approach rests on a foundation of love and trust, while Jared Gordon relies on fear and domination. Ironically, Tuna has developed a measure of independence, but her self-reliance has evolved despite her father, not because of him. In the characters of Tuna and Wahoo, Hiaasen suggests that freedom and autonomy are crucial to child development as long as such children are supported by a foundation of love. While children need certain boundaries, and Mickey is guilty of failing to enforce the important ones, his essentially loving approach celebrates independence for its own sake, while Jared’s apathetic parenting only damages his daughter’s well-being and safety.