Cynicism
Scott is a man consumed with cynicism. As a starving artist, he has been continuously losing faith in humanity. He believed his art was worth selling when he first started, but now he doubts himself and his abilities. To him, people around him are obstacles. They're all just walking around getting in his way until they die, but he too will die. This pessimism permeates most of his thought-process, but he is not a man devoid of goodness because of it. In fact, Scott plays in important role in keeping JJ in a loving home after his parents die.
Financial Excess
The Batemans and the Kiplings are both families of incredible wealth. They live in the upper echelon onf society and enjoy all the privileges of such a position. David Bateman is a news media mogul, who charters his private plane and his family's private bodyguard for the trip. As it turns out, his wealth may have been his undoing after all. Before the crash, the FBI had been initiating an investigation into Bateman for laundering an unbelievable amount of money. Whatever fortunes he and his family had been enjoying were about to run out if that investigation gained any traction. Ben Kipling is a big man on Wall Street, so his wealth is unquestionable. His wife, Sarah, is accustomed to the finer things in life and complains about their accommodations at Martha's Vineyard.
Trauma
Trauma plays an interesting role in the story as it is the common thread throughout the different narratives. To begin, Maggie Bateman was stalked as a child. She now lives in constant fear to the point where she has a personal bodyguard accompany her at all times. As a result of the plane crash, her four-year-old son now has to deal with an intense amount of trauma of his own early childhood, losing both parents and his sister. Readers learn that JJ's uncle, who, along with his mom's sister, has been designated to take custody of him, is no the kind of man who will facilitate a healthy, healing environment for the little boy. He is a very abusive man. Finally, Scott himself has to work through the trauma of the crash. His mental injuries -- brush with death, witnessing the deaths of others, public persecution, death threats, etc. -- are reflected by his injured arm which continues to ache for long after the crash.
