Family Dysfunction

Familial dysfunction is one of the central dynamics in the overall narrative, as the story explores how destructive a lack of healthy family relationships can be. Victor is arguably the central source of the familial dysfunction explored in the novel, as his general reprehensibility causes much strife for his immediate family members. The very first line of the novel introduces Victor thusly: “He was an angry man, and he was an ugly man” (3). Throughout the novel, Victor is shown to seemingly have no redeeming qualities. He is cruel, abusive, and a criminal, and he inflicts both physical and emotional pain on his wife and children. One of the primary effects of Victor’s reprehensibility is the inhibition of healthy family dynamics, such as love and open communication. The novel thereby embeds its exploration of familial dysfunction in the destructive power of callousness and cruelty.

Even...