Fallout

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain descriptions of war, war-related trauma, racism, ableism, and sexual harassment.

In the post-attack timeline, the fallout shelter proves to be a microcosm of society, reflecting and intensifying the social dynamics, conflicts, and moral dilemmas present in the larger world. This confined space becomes a crucible in which the characters’ true natures and societal issues are brought into sharp focus. The shelter’s population represents a cross-section of 1960s suburban American society and includes Scott’s family, the Shaws, and the McGoverns, as well as Janet, who is the family’s maid and is the only Black person in the shelter. The interactions and conflicts that arise among these characters parallel and amplify the tensions already present in the outside world. For instance, Janet’s presence fuels interactions that highlight the rampant racism of the 1960s, and the other inhabitants of the shelter largely ignore the fact that Janet’s own children—lacking the benefit of a fallout shelter—most likely did not survive the attack. Mr. McGovern’s suggestion that Janet should be one of the first to be expelled from the shelter in the absence of resources illustrates the persistent racism of the era.