'If I Forget Thee, O Earth . . .'

The term Earthrise is not used in the story but appears in an authorial note preceding the story in Clarke’s Collected Stories. The term refers to the view of the Earth as it appears from the Moon. In the story, Marvin and his father travel to a point on the Moon’s surface from which they see the Earth rise into view in a way similar to how the Sun “rises” into view each morning. As this coincides with the revelation that a nuclear war has devastated the planet, Earthrise symbolizes the dawning awareness in the boy and the awareness that Clarke suggests must dawn in humanity in real life.

This is not an easy reality to face, as Clarke figuratively suggests via the blinding nature of Earth’s light, which is “so brilliant that minutes pass[…] before Marvin [can] accept its challenge and look steadfastly into its glare” (405). When he does, Earth, previously an abstraction, becomes real to Marvin, evoking a powerful longing to return: “It was beautiful, and it called to his heart across the abyss of space” (405). At the same time, Marvin understands as he never did before what it means for humanity to have destroyed such a world and, in turn, why he must work to ensure that his descendants can one day go back.

Notably, Earthrise is a cyclical phenomenon, occurring roughly once each month. This underscores the relationship between Marvin’s newfound awareness and the theme of Legacy and the Relationship Between Fathers and Sons, as generations of colonists will continue traveling to this spot much as Earthrise itself will continue to occur.

Clarke also contrasts the beauty of even an irradiated Earth with the barren landscape of the Moon and the artificial environments of the colony. While this enhances the story’s mournful tone, it also suggests the insignificance of human achievement in the face of nature, developing the theme of The Dangers of Technology.