Full Body Burden: Rocky Flats During The Cold War
Huang 1
Zhanchuo Huang
Professor Anderson
English 2, Final Draft
11 December 2013
Secret: Production over Safety “Production takes precedence over safety” was a quite common idea in Rocky Flats during the Cold War (Iversen 409). In Kristen Iversen’s non-fiction memoir, Full Body Burden, she investigated the top secret about Rocky Flats – the nuclear weapons plant. She revealed the truth for the innocent citizens lived near around the radiation area and unfolded the concealed information of how the toxic and radioactive waste affected the area around Rocky Flats, and extensively, seeking justice for innocent people in her twelve years of researching. Nuclear production: these words drive all the main factors in this book, two nuclear building fires, death of local animals, water safety issues, higher rate of cancer in local residence, extensive test …show more content…
No one notices. Nothing is said. Fresh bottles appear in their place. My parents, who rarely see or speak to each other, carry on as usual” (Iversen 59). Therefore, family members started to stop inviting friends over to the house, “It’s too embarrassing to explain the bottle under the sofa or behind the chair - the bottles we’re not supposed to know about” (Iversen 59). In car accident, parents and children are not serious about their injury after the accident or her father’s drunk driving, “Eventually we’ll forget this (accident) ever happened, before long the entire incident is, indeed, forgotten” (Iversen 110). Other than car accidents and alcohol, missed appointments and nights in jail are also well covered by her mother. “Is he in jail? Kurt asks. My mother won’t answer directly. ‘He loves you all very much, but he just can’t be here right now’ ” (Iversen 118). Family secrets kept away from almost every single detail in each other, dad to daughter, mom to daughter, husband to wife. The entire environment of her family is like Kristen said in the book, “silence is an easy
Zhanchuo Huang
Professor Anderson
English 2, Final Draft
11 December 2013
Secret: Production over Safety “Production takes precedence over safety” was a quite common idea in Rocky Flats during the Cold War (Iversen 409). In Kristen Iversen’s non-fiction memoir, Full Body Burden, she investigated the top secret about Rocky Flats – the nuclear weapons plant. She revealed the truth for the innocent citizens lived near around the radiation area and unfolded the concealed information of how the toxic and radioactive waste affected the area around Rocky Flats, and extensively, seeking justice for innocent people in her twelve years of researching. Nuclear production: these words drive all the main factors in this book, two nuclear building fires, death of local animals, water safety issues, higher rate of cancer in local residence, extensive test …show more content…
No one notices. Nothing is said. Fresh bottles appear in their place. My parents, who rarely see or speak to each other, carry on as usual” (Iversen 59). Therefore, family members started to stop inviting friends over to the house, “It’s too embarrassing to explain the bottle under the sofa or behind the chair - the bottles we’re not supposed to know about” (Iversen 59). In car accident, parents and children are not serious about their injury after the accident or her father’s drunk driving, “Eventually we’ll forget this (accident) ever happened, before long the entire incident is, indeed, forgotten” (Iversen 110). Other than car accidents and alcohol, missed appointments and nights in jail are also well covered by her mother. “Is he in jail? Kurt asks. My mother won’t answer directly. ‘He loves you all very much, but he just can’t be here right now’ ” (Iversen 118). Family secrets kept away from almost every single detail in each other, dad to daughter, mom to daughter, husband to wife. The entire environment of her family is like Kristen said in the book, “silence is an easy