Life as We Knew It

by

Susan Pfeffer

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Life as We Knew It makes teaching easy.
The Moon Symbol Icon

Traditionally the moon often symbolizes a natural rhythm or cycle, but the moon in Life As We Knew It has been knocked off course by a dense asteroid. The moon in this novel, then, represents the opposite: uncertainty and discord. When the moon is moved closer to Earth, the change in its gravitational pull causes tsunamis and earthquakes. It also causes volcanoes to erupt—not just active volcanoes, but ones that had been long dormant and new ones that had hadn’t existed prior to the moon incident. The moon is thus the source of all of the unnatural disasters and hardships that are affecting the characters’ lives, and even the moon’s appearance—closer to the earth and at an odd angle—is frightening and unfamiliar, a reminder of everything that has gone wrong.

The Moon Quotes in Life as We Knew It

The Life as We Knew It quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Moon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Survival and Death Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

They said asteroids hit the moon pretty often, which is how the moon gets its craters, but this one is going to be the biggest asteroid ever to hit it and on a clear night you should be able to see the impact when it happens... They made it sound pretty dramatic, but I still don’t think it’s worth three homework assignments.

Related Characters: Miranda Evans (speaker)
Related Symbols: The Moon
Page Number: 11
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

Somehow I’d forgotten there were other countries, that we shared the moon with other countries.

Related Characters: Miranda Evans (speaker)
Related Symbols: The Moon
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

I know it’s dumb of me, but I keep thinking that once Matt gets home, everything will be okay. Like he’ll push the moon back into place.

Related Characters: Miranda Evans (speaker), Matt Evans
Related Symbols: The Moon
Page Number: 48
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Life as We Knew It LitChart as a printable PDF.
Life as We Knew It PDF

The Moon Symbol Timeline in Life as We Knew It

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Moon appears in Life as We Knew It. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Perspective Theme Icon
...astronomers have determined an asteroid large enough to be visible is going to hit the moon next week. Laura has heard this, but Miranda hasn’t. Later she brushes it off with... (full context)
Perspective Theme Icon
May 15-16. Excitement about the moon builds... at least among the teachers at Miranda’s school, who all assign projects based on... (full context)
Faith Theme Icon
Legacy Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
...math test and her tendency to be careless in general. Miranda is working on her moon assignments in her bedroom when older brother, Matt, calls from college, surprising her because he... (full context)
Chapter 2
Survival and Death Theme Icon
Legacy Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
May 18. In the aftermath of the asteroid’s impact with the moon, Miranda struggles to organize her thoughts to write in her journal. She compares this to... (full context)
Perspective Theme Icon
...her timeline to describe the day from the beginning—including a glimpse of a typical half moon in the sunrise sky and her anticipation about the night. She emphasizes how normal the... (full context)
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
...dinner together and plan to make a “party” of watching the asteroid’s impact with the moon. They had invited their neighbor Mrs. Nesbitt to join them, but she said she’d rather... (full context)
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
After the asteroid hits the moon, the mood quickly changes. Miranda says that the impact was shocking, and felt like an... (full context)
Survival and Death Theme Icon
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
Legacy Theme Icon
...her clock radio about the similar devastation on the west coast. She can see the moon out her window—its new appearance frightens her. (full context)
Chapter 3
Perspective Theme Icon
...the night before—namely that the asteroid was denser than they’d predicted and it knocked the moon closer to the earth—they cannot predict what the lasting outcomes will be. (full context)
Chapter 4
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
...customers. Among these are rumors that there will be no electricity all summer, that the moon will crash into the earth by Christmas, and that the school board has voted not... (full context)
Survival and Death Theme Icon
Faith Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
...and she, Laura, and Jonny are feeling nervous—especially since it’s a clear night and the moon appears too big and bright. The electricity is working, so Jonny and Miranda have turned... (full context)
Chapter 7
Survival and Death Theme Icon
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
...or foggy. Miranda asks Matt and Laura about it, and they tell her that the moon’s increased gravitational pull is still causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods—but now it’s caused volcanoes to... (full context)
Chapter 8
Legacy Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
July 20. Miranda realizes it’s the anniversary of the first time men walked on the moon. It’s a fact that she remembers from all her moon-themed assignments back in May. She... (full context)
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
...Lisa live, is a sort of heaven on earth that hasn’t been impacted by the moon’s collision. So when Laura pulls Miranda aside to tell her plans have changed—that Miranda and... (full context)
Chapter 13
Survival and Death Theme Icon
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
Legacy Theme Icon
Perspective Theme Icon
...something she expects will happens soon. Mrs. Nesbitt hasn’t heard from her son since the moon collision, which can’t be a good sign. Miranda vows to go back the next day... (full context)
Chapter 14
Survival and Death Theme Icon
Currency, Commodities, and Value Theme Icon
...air quality. And Miranda is grateful that the ash cloud blocks her view of the moon. (full context)