Night of the Twisters

“Now that I’m older and more experienced, I know there are black-letter days as well as red-letter ones.”

In the opening paragraphs of the book, Dan discusses his realization when he was younger that the term “red-letter day” meant that something unexpectedly good happens to you. He gives examples of red-letter days in his life, and he explains that as he’s matured, he’s determined that there are also black-letter days, when something unexpectedly bad happens. This quotation foreshadows the storms to come and demonstrates how his character matured after he experienced the natural disaster.

“Unless you count the long cirrus clouds strung across the morning sky as Arthur and I pedaled off to Aunt Goldie’s, there were no warnings at all that day in June. None.”

Dan’s feeling of being blindsided by the destruction he will face illustrates the happy, carefree childhood he lived before the storm. He states that there were no warnings but goes on to describe several signs of the storms ahead, from the strange clouds to wind and hail. These weather conditions aren’t noticed by Dan or Arthur as they ride their bikes around their neighborhood, feeling secure that nothing truly terrible will happen. Dan’s retroactive, more mature look at how the day proceeded demonstrates his lack of awareness and the growing pains that have taken place since the night of the twisters.

“The way the wind was whipping those trees around at the state park should have clued me that something big was on the way, but I wasn’t worried then.”

Dan’s more concerned with his crush on Arthur’s older sister, Stacey, than he is at the breeze picking up speed in this section.