Diamonds/Jewelry Symbol Analysis

In the novel, diamonds and jewelry represent the persistence of capitalist ideology through periods of apocalyptic change. Though the narrator and his girlfriend Margo can barely acquire the food and water they need to survive, they frequently channel their energy towards stealing bejeweled watches and diamond bracelets rather than finding sustenance; they hope to eventually sell these items on the black market, an attempt to claw their way to security. Later, the narrator, interviewing for a government position, pockets a diamond watch when he thinks no one is looking—and this theft ultimately lands him the job, because it signals to his employers that he understands what really has value. In other words, even through flood, fire, and famine, the arbitrary preciousness of jewels and diamonds persists.

Things We Didn’t See Coming demonstrates the inequities of capitalism in many ways: during a pandemic, only those with money can afford filtration systems to keep germs away; while the majority of people are starving, wealthy senator Juliet and her friends feast on greenhouse-grown vegetables and go through cases of wine. But in showing just how much society continues to value jewels in particular, the novel also demonstrates the absurdities of capitalist thinking. Natural and political disasters have wiped out most of the population, and food is just as scarce as precious gemstones—but still, no one can let go of their capitalist ideas about what really matters.