Theme and message

Post-industrial America

The main theme explored in the novel extract “Grace” by Philipp Meyer is the theme of post-industrial America. In the extract, Grace inadvertently compares Brownsville and Buell of the past with their current state. The towns are currently almost deserted, although they were once flourishing, with a lot of people living and working there. As she drives to work in Brownsville, Grace focuses on the empty villages, factories, and mills, and is forced to think about the past: “She passed vacant hamlets...