One Two Three

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-12

Chapters 13-24

Chapters 25-36

Chapters 37-48

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

Corporate Greed and Environmental Justice

One Two Three depicts the dire costs of corporate greed and shows the difficulty that many small communities face when they try to attain environmental justice. The novel also illustrates the ways in which large, unethical corporations commonly prey on under-resourced communities; as a whole, the story is designed to demonstrate the impunity with which such corporations deceive community members and create environmental catastrophes, and the triplets’ battle against Belsum models the David-and-Goliath nature of attempting to bring large conglomerates to justice.

Belsum Chemical originally chose Bourne as its site in part because of its geography but also because the town’s poverty would make the residents beholden to Belsum for their income and economic stability, thus rendering them helpless to protest against the company’s egregiously unethical practices even when the plant’s runoff began causing rampant illness and widespread fatalities. The residents needed the jobs that Belsum would bring, and they did not have as much choice as a more affluent community about where those jobs would come from. Had there been greater economic opportunity in Bourne to begin with, they surely would not have needed to take such a great risk with the safety of their town. Both the Groves and the Templeton families were very aware of the town’s position and exploited the unequal power dynamics for their own personal gain.

The Groves family’s very presence in Bourne was always based in greed, and when Belsum arrived, they saw an opportunity to turn a quick profit and move on. They did not see the community as one with long-term prospects and were thus disinclined to put down actual roots there. They were, however, perfectly happy to prey on the town for their own financial gain. The Templeton family also profited through exploitation, and their wealth is on obvious display when Nathan and Apple return to Bourne, as their clothing, their cars, and even their home imply an income level far beyond the ability of Bourne’s citizens to achieve for themselves.

The most morally repugnant corporate behavior on display in One Two Three is the ease with which Belsum Chemical deceives the town of Bourne into believing that its products are now safe; indeed, the magnitude of this lie is difficult to fathom, for this deception, if allowed to stand, will inevitably cost the town myriad lives and plunge it into an even deeper state of economic despair. Duke Templeton knows very well that his product caused deaths and deformities in animals and chose to produce it anyway. Now, even Nathan, who sees himself as somehow less culpable than his father because he understands the difference between right and wrong, is nonetheless guilty of deceiving the town, and he plans new deceptions as the novel progresses, proving himself to be a deeply treacherous antagonist in this drama.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Although many people in the town of Bourne have lost limbs or were born with congenital abnormalities because of the poisoned water supply, they show marked resilience in the face of adversity and do not let their various disabilities define them. Instead, they work together and find success in spite of their physical limitations and are able to determine the course of their own lives. This dynamic is evident in the way they talk about disability and eschew stigma and stereotype. It is also on particular display in Mirabel’s characterization. She appears to have the greatest limitations of any character, but she is Bourne’s most intelligent resident and shapes her own goals and trajectory based on her strengths and what she wants to achieve in life, rather than focusing on her disability.

Within this context, Nora strives to give her girls all the love and support they need, and she honors their abilities and recognizes each daughter as an individual in her own right: a unique mixture of strengths and abilities. She tells her daughters that they “are lovely just the way they are” and helps them to focus on their own individual strengths rather than on their deficits (22). This focus on the positive has clearly shaped the way that the girls see themselves, for at no point do they see disability as a limitation, nor does disability play a large role in how they define themselves as people. Each girl understands herself to be an intelligent being and a valued member of a family and a community. This ideology extends to the town itself, for as Pastor Jeff notes, “all of us have special needs” (18). No one is stigmatized, and the general focus is on achievement rather than lack. Because discussions of disability are so absent from Bourne’s discourse, no one’s identity is bound to their ability level. For example, Mirabel is known not for her idioglossia or her wheelchair but for her genius-level understanding of the world. Likewise, Monday is not characterized by her neurodivergence; instead, she is honored as the de facto librarian and the custodian of valuable public information and community resources.

Perhaps the most profound example of a character who rises above what mainstream society might see as her disabilities is Mirabel, for she uses her voice app to speak and has no trouble communicating. Within Bourne’s uniquely nonjudgmental culture, everyone speaks to her just as they would to someone who is capable of speech in the traditional sense, and she is not seen by the town as pitiable for the way that she “speaks.” Mirabel herself derives her sense of self much more from her intellect than her ability level. Additionally, she concedes that there are benefits to the way that her voice app slows her down. Her brain races and forms thoughts at lightning speed, but having to translate those thoughts through the app allows her to calm down and move through the world at a less frenetic pace. Although she has what could be described as the greatest number of limitations compared to her sisters, she is no less able than they are to study, interact with people, and live a happy life.

The Healing Power of Community

Although Bourne’s inhabitants bear the physical scars of Belsum Chemical’s poisoning and the town itself has sunk into a deep economic depression after the chemical plant’s closing, the townspeople form a tightly knit, caring community in which each person is valued and respected. This dynamic is evident in the way that community members work together to ensure that the needs of the community are met even though services in Bourne are limited. Additionally, they make it a point to resist classifications such as “normal” and “abnormal,” thereby eradicating the shadows of stigma and stereotype from their town. Lastly, Bourne is remarkably accessible; the townspeople have made various repairs and adjustments to ensure access for wheelchairs, residents who rely on canes, and people with a wide range of mobility issues. As the narrative states, “There are very few stairs here, but any place that has even one has a ramp or a lift. The shops have automatic doors, broad aisles, pull-down shelves, and low counters” (22). Thus, rather than treating different ability levels as being outside the norm, Bourne proceeds from the assumption that its citizens will need accommodations, and they plan accordingly.

This is in part because, in Bourne, there really is no “normal.” It is not a word that they use in conversation or a concept that underpins their worldview. The chemical spill resulted in a wide range of health issues and disabilities, and although Bourne’s citizens prefer to focus on strength and resiliency, they also have jettisoned the idea that there is one socially accepted, recognizable standard for bodies, abilities, and behaviors. People are accepted for who they are and are not classified based on what they can or cannot do.