The Night Shift

The novel’s recurring references to pop culture—mostly classic and cult classic movies—characterize the author’s narrative style and recreate the fact that people often process the events of their lives through pop culture. For example, Keller’s husband compares her to Clarice Starling, the heroic FBI agent in The Silence of the Lambs, because this image gives him a way to communicate his admiration for her bravery. Similarly, Atticus mentions the movie Office Space when he and Keller attempt to meet with Mr. Young in the company’s isolated basement. Meeting the eccentric Mr. Young is a surreal and off-putting experience, and Atticus makes it feel more normal by comparing it to something he has seen in a comedy.

As the story advances and conflicts escalate, pop culture references begin to appear even in emotionally charged scenes. For example, Ella listens to “Hurt” by Johnny Cash, a song that she calls “both beautiful and crushingly heartbreaking at the same time” (147). This reference adds nuance to her determination not to cry as she moves out of her fiancé’s apartment. Later, she watches the movie Before Sunrise, which reminds her of the day she once spent at Coney Island with Vince, her first love. This song and movie from popular culture help Ella to process her painful feelings and put them in a larger context.

Finally, Keller and Bob’s discussion about baby names for their twins is rife with pop culture references. Bob suggests Luke and Leia from Star Wars, as well as Arya and Jon Snow from A Game of Thrones. Because both parents worry about the safety of the babies while Keller is pregnant and still working cases, Bob chooses pop culture siblings who survive extreme danger in order to remind himself of his family’s strength and resilience. These recurring references create a motif that demonstrates how pop culture can help people to make sense of hardship and navigate The Struggle to Heal the Legacy of Trauma.