Guilt

The story of the Trump family told through Maryanne’s eyes highlights her struggle throughout the novel to come to terms with her mother’s death and her own guilt for not being able to connect with her mother during her life. Maryanne lacked this subsequent cornerstone of her emotional development as she grew and matured. Maryanne did not understand why her mother grew distant from her and why her father never gave her as much attention as her brothers, leading her to question her role and importance within the family. Maryanne’s guilt is so unbearable and all-encompassing because she feels undeserving of receiving anything because she spent so long without fighting for the attention of her parents.

Freddy craved his father’s love perhaps the most of all of the Trump children because he was also heaped with the heaviest expectations as the eldest son. He...