The Cabin at the End of the World

The novel’s references to scars represent the theme of The Traumatic Effects of Violence. The beginning of the story reveals that both Wen and Andrew have scars. Wen’s scar is from the surgical correction of a cleft palate—a procedure that continues to trouble her. Horrified and compelled by photographs of her younger self, Wen struggles to assimilate her appearance as a baby with her present identity. Andrew’s scar is a lasting reminder of the physical and emotional trauma he experienced during an antigay attack. When Eric seriously injures his head during the home invasion, incurring a concussion, he experiences fleeting pleasure that he’ll now have a scar to match those of his husband and daughter. The motif highlights how the family’s shared experience of trauma unites them.

Central to the novel’s thematic exploration of Choices and Their Consequences is Andrew’s gun. The weapon plays a crucial and devastating role in the plot, as its presence ultimately leads to Wen’s death. Beginning early in the narrative, the author alludes to the series of choices that led to this consequence, from Andrew’s desire to protect himself after the bar attack to his decision to bring the gun on vacation and use it to threaten the intruders. The gun motif highlights the unforeseen and far-reaching results of individual actions.