The discovery of the body that opens the story foreshadows the streak of corruption running through the superficially idyllic community of Salcombe and stands as an indicator that every interaction should be analyzed with the scrutiny of a detective to determine potential motives and perpetrators of the crime. In this way, the underlying awareness of the murder-to-be lurks beneath each seemingly bright and positive interaction, and it also colors each new conflict with an air of suspicion and speculation. In this summer-story-turned-murder-mystery, everyone is suspect, and as the morally ambiguous actions of the characters unfold, it becomes clear that Susan herself represents the moral judgment that is otherwise lacking in the community. Therefore, her death represents the death of morality and the failure of all the characters to live up to the larger metanarrative of right and wrong.

The midsummer picnic superficially appears to be a celebration of community and tradition. Under the surface, however, it highlights the cliquishness, shallowness, and social competition that infect the entire community, poisoning each group interaction that occurs during the summer. A true community might organize a collective event at which burgers and hotdogs are provided to everyone, regardless of social status. Instead, the summer people of Salcombe cluster in their own little groups, jealously guarding their own long-established places on the green.