This novel explores and questions the nature of heroism, trust, betrayal, and guilt through the character of Francis Cassavant. Francis is the novel's protagonist and returns to his hometown after being injured in warfare, in order to get revenge on Larry LeSalle.
Throughout the text, Francis is overcome by guilt. This is because he witnessed the rape of his childhood friend Nicole by his childhood idol, Larry LeSalle. He holds himself accountable for what happened and refuses to see himself as a hero despite his brave actions in warfare. Francis' guilt and shame impact his like dramatically, from his low self-confidence to the fact that he adopts a disguise so that nobody can see his facial disfigurements.
Guilt is also explored through Francis' memories of warfare. In one scene, he remembers killing two young innocent German soldiers. Although his actions are seen as heroic by others, he cannot help but think he was wrong to kill them and does not feel good about what happened. Larry LeSalle also expresses his feelings of guilt and tells Francis that his memories of warfare have made him contemplate suicide.
The concept of heroism is a crucial aspect of the text and is explored through Francis, Larry and other veteran characters. Throughout the text, Cormier emphasizes the contrast between the reality of warfare and heroic propaganda. Many men returned from the war traumatized and broken, which is something Arthur Rivier symbolizes in this text.
The importance of memories and trauma in the text is reflected by the structural use of flashbacks by Cormier. All the characters have experienced some kind of trauma, whether in warfare or from sexual abuse. As such, flashbacks are an effective structural technique used by Cormier to reflect the emotional and psychological experiences of his characters.
