Violence
The central event in the novel revolves around an act of sexual predation, which is rooted in a culture that condones the notion, as a chapter title suggests, that "Boys Will Be Boys." Before marrying Corinne, Michael was known as a sexual "predator," using his charisma to take advantage of college girls. Mike, Jr. expresses his masculinity by sneaking out at night to be with his girlfriend. Although he is never depicted as sexually aggressive, he frequently returns home intoxicated after spending time with her. He finds excitement in the idea of group sex between some high school acquaintances and a girl, rumored to be mentally challenged, whom they intoxicate. This scenario might be inspired by a well-publicized real-life rape case where the majority of the community refused to believe their sons were involved, mirroring the novel's theme of denial when the rapist's parents refuse to accept that Marianne did not provoke the assault. Marianne herself has been so conditioned by the belief that boys will be boys that she holds herself responsible for encouraging her attacker.
Religion
One approach to dealing with a culture of violence and uncertainty is to turn to religion. Corinne, in particular, finds solace in a non-traditional faith because as a child, she was guided to safety during a snowstorm by the light of fireflies. Believing in fireflies symbolizes faith, and while faith might not shield Corinne from suffering, it offers her a means of endurance. In contrast, Michael lacks such a mechanism, leading him to seek escape from his pain through alcoholism. However, faith can also act as a crutch, hindering individuals from addressing their pain or assisting others in doing so. For instance, after her rape, Marianne seeks refuge in a Catholic church, hoping it will make her trauma disappear. For Michael, Corinne, and Marianne, both alcohol and religion become substitutes for communication as a path to healing.
Prior to the rape, the Mulvaney family had developed a unique way of communicating through animals, but afterward, they abandon this practice, leaving them without even an indirect method for meaningful interaction. What Judd refers to as their secret lives transform from lives of privacy into lives of isolation.
Art
While Corinne turns to religious fundamentalism to satisfy her quest for meaning, Marianne finds it in a communal lifestyle. Mike Jr. seeks it through his service in the Marine Corps, and Patrick through his dedication to environmentalism. In contrast, Judd finds his calling in journalism, which Oates links to the creative process. Judd is not merely a journalist; he is also an artist, driven by the desire to interpret the world he sees and convey that understanding to others.
Estrangement
In this novel, Oates explores how trauma and loss can fracture a group's identity and unity. The Mulvaneys struggle to sustain their image as successful and prosperous when a violent incident impacts one of their members. This event shifts their self-perception and alters their collective understanding of their place in the world. As a result, the family loses its cohesion, with individuals either physically distancing themselves or isolating in other ways. This disintegration is most evident in Marianne, who is sent away because her father cannot accept the family's vulnerability to violence or his inability to protect his children. After being assaulted by Zachary Lundt, Marianne is removed from her once tightly-knit family. Psychologically, she mirrors this separation by withdrawing from potential relationships and career opportunities. Although she is the victim, she is punished; believing she is at fault, she continues to punish herself, driven by shame to deny herself happiness. Oates uses Marianne's torn, bloodied dress, hidden...
(This entire section contains 281 words.)
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in her closet, to symbolize her guilt and shame. Notably, Marianne's mother knows where the dress is and disposes of it without discussing it with Marianne, allowing her daughter to remain in a self-punishing mindset. The consequences of the assault solidify into a pattern of withdrawal and self-destruction, ensuring Marianne's future unhappiness. If her parents had accepted Marianne's transformation due to her experience and loved her regardless, the trauma's impact might have been reduced and resolved more quickly. Excluding her from the family reinforced the guilt Marianne was predisposed to feel about the assault. The novel suggests that without adequate support for victims and their families to process trauma and loss, such violent disruptions can permanently alter both the victim and family dynamics.
Revenge
In response to the attack on his sister, Patrick Mulvaney's actions allow Oates to delve into both the allure and the futility of seeking revenge. Patrick's prank at the graduation ceremony, followed by his more dangerous act of kidnapping Zachary Lundt, are ineffective reactions to a violent incident. Fortunately, Patrick comes to understand the pointlessness of revenge when he sees Lundt nearly drown. He realizes that inflicting harm now cannot change what has already happened, and that hurting Lundt accomplishes nothing. Although the novel does not track his life over many years, Oates clearly indicates by the end that Patrick finds peace primarily because he understands that revenge cannot bring him solace.
Alcoholism
In the character of Michael Mulvaney Sr., Oates delves into the escalating devastation caused by progressive alcohol addiction. Mulvaney's decline mirrors the typical downward trajectory of alcoholism. His alcohol abuse is not merely a reaction to his daughter's assault. Oates illustrates that Michael was predisposed to alcoholism even if the rape had not occurred and triggered his behavior. For one, his father was an abusive alcoholic, and research indicates that alcoholism often recurs in later generations, due to either genetic or learned influences. Additionally, in his younger days, before the demands of a growing business and family curbed him, he spent drunken weekends at the tavern at Wolf's Head Lake, following in the footsteps of Haw Hawley, who ultimately ends up broken and divorced. As Corinne later realizes, when Michael reconnects with his old drinking friends, the life they constructed at High Point Farm (which represented the "high point" of their marriage) may have "only postponed Wolf's Head Lake in their lives." Initially seen as a way to enjoy weekends, alcohol eventually becomes a destructive force, leading to self-torture, self-sabotage, and the breakdown of relationships. Oates's novel highlights the expanding influence of alcohol. As a coping mechanism for trauma and loss, alcohol provides temporary relief from unbearable pain. However, over time, it becomes the thief that robs Michael Mulvaney Sr. of everything—his business, social connections, and family. Ironically, Michael Sr.'s choice to drink proves far more destructively pervasive than Marianne's lack of choice in being assaulted by Zack Lundt.
Optimism
Despite the hardships faced by the Mulvaney family, Corinne, the mother, remains hopeful that their lives will eventually return to normal. Their existence at High Point Farm, where they experience happiness together, is deeply rooted in Corinne's perspective on life. Having grown up on a farm, she values social connections and religious beliefs. These values influence her husband and children, although not as strongly as they do Corinne. After Marianne's assault, the family's optimistic view begins to waver; they start to feel exposed to the same difficulties that others face. However, Corinne continues to maintain her positive outlook.
The novel uses a cowbell as a symbol of fading and rising hope. It plays a central role in an early chapter where Corinne uses it to call Patrick back from his adventures to inform him that he needs to pick up Marianne in town. At that time, neither of them realizes that this marks the end of their innocent life at High Point Farm, which becomes overshadowed by secrets, suspicion, guilt, and anger following the assault. In contrast, author Oates reintroduces the cowbell at the novel's conclusion, when the extended family gathers at Corinne's new farm. This time, when Corinne rings the bell, it signifies the promise of a hopeful future for the family. Judd describes her "Laughing like one of her own grandchildren, the color up in her cheeks, tugging the cord of the old gourd-shaped cowbell to summon us all to eat, at last." Corinne's optimism fuels the rebuilding of her life. Perhaps Oates is conveying that a positive attitude provides the strength needed to change one's life.
