67 pages • 2 hours read
Liz MooreThe God of the Woods
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Corruptive Influence of Wealth and Class
Throughout the novel, all of the Van Laars—with the possible exception of Barbara—reveal the depths to which they rely upon their wealth and social class to protect themselves from the consequences of their actions. However, although Peter Van Laar and his father never hesitate to use their position to evade justice and impose their will upon their family, friends, and community, they also find their own lives intensely restricted by their compulsive need to maintain their public image. Whether they are working to conform to broader expectations or using their connections to evade scandal, their social position ultimately serves as a corruptive force in their lives.
From the very beginning, the Van Laars’ wealth and prestige are emphasized, and their wealth situates them in a particularly elite social class that comes with many expectations as to how its members should present themselves in the world. However, when Alice marries into the family at a young age, it soon becomes clear that she does not fit the mold that the Van Laars adhere to, for she is somewhat less refined than a Van Laar woman is expected to be. Similarly, Alice has difficulty playing her expected role and suffers under her husband’s restrictions; this dynamic becomes evident when Peter disregards her deep love for Bear and insists that the boy be cared for by nurses. Thus, the expectations of the Van Laar family are designed to inhibit natural love and familial connection, and every generation of their family suffers because of this pattern.
Furthermore, the Van Laars and McLellans use their wealth and prestige to ensure not only that they maintain their advantages and keep others in a subservient position. Although they are ironically indebted to the Hewitts, who successfully operate Camp Emerson and maintain the Preserve, the Hewitts remain at the mercy of the Van Laars for their livelihood, knowing that to defy the Van Laars would mean a loss of income for the Hewitts. This power differential explains why Victor feels compelled to become complicit in the Van Laars’ decision to hide the evidence of Bear’s death. By unjustly wielding their social power, the Van Laars maintain the illusion that their wealth absolves them of wrongdoing, and it is only through Judy’s consummate attention to detail and courageous perseverance that the truth of their actions ultimately comes to light.
The Dangers of Keeping Secrets
Because the core of the novel revolves around the characters’ many secrets, large and small, Moore makes use of multiple third-person perspectives to create a sense of dramatic irony and provide a patchwork view of the conflicting interests in play throughout the narrative. By featuring characters with dark and ominous secrets to keep—such as the younger and elder Peter Van Laar and TJ’s father, Victor—the author implies that many unseen forces are causing the overt turmoil surrounding Barbara’s disappearance. The narrative also contrasts the secrets of wrongdoers with those of characters like Louise, Tracy, and TJ, who have more justified reasons for withholding information.
This theme is set in motion in the opening chapter when Louise fears that her unauthorized absence from the cabin on the night of Barbara’s disappearance will be discovered. Louise’s secret is not limited to this one incident, however—her other secrets, such as her tryst with Lee Towson and John Paul Jr.’s attack on him, will inevitably complicate matters for Louise as official suspicion falls upon her. Additionally, Louise’s reasons for hiding her engagement to John Paul are multifaceted; because she belongs to a lower social class, upper-class people in the community would deem Louise unworthy of dating or marrying John Paul. She also harbors the secret of his abuse—an accusation that could, in theory, damage his reputation but would more likely damage Louise, as she knows that her account will most likely be dismissed. Although Louise’s reticence to share information stems from legitimate concerns, her unwillingness to divulge the truth sets a dangerous precedent that intensifies her problems rather than solving them.
However, the secret of greatest significance is the conspiracy of silence surrounding Bear Van Laar’s disappearance in 1961, for although various members of the community suspect that the Van Laar family is responsible for his death, the truth remains hidden until Victor Hewitt finally reveals his role in the cover-up. For Victor, keeping the secret creates a moral quandary, for although he loathes holding his silence, he also fears the repercussions of failing to comply with the powerful Van Laars and their wish for secrecy. He therefore rationalizes his complicity by insisting that his actions will preserve his livelihood for his daughter’s sake. Even TJ comes to accept the logic of this decision and joins the conspiracy of silence. However, her close relationship with Barbara places her in the path of suspicion, and it is not until TJ decides to reveal the truth that she can clear her name. The revelation of the events surrounding Bear’s death paves the way for potential healing for those involved, although the novel never fully confirms whether characters like Alice find a way to move on from the loss of Bear.
Navigating the Injustices of Misogyny
Because the novel is set against the historical and social backdrop of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the author is diligent about portraying the many injustices and challenges that women face during this time frame due to the inherent biases against them. Moore pointedly features different versions of this conflict throughout the narrative and creates characters who represent each generation. In this way, she illustrates that the influence of misogyny and restrictive gender roles is perpetuated through the decades and lives on even amidst the rebellious counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. From Alice’s submissive stance in her marriage to Barbara and TJ’s rebellion and Judy’s professional challenges, the novel indicates that every facet of women’s daily lives is deeply affected by this ongoing form of injustice.
Judy’s struggle to assert her worth in the professional realm is arguably the most overt example of this issue for because she is the first female detective in Albany, people are taken aback to realize that she is indeed in a position of authority. Judy’s social programming compounds this problem, and her initial lack of confidence causes her to fear the judgments of her male counterparts in the event of a mistake. She is keenly aware that she is carving a unique niche for herself within a male-dominated profession, and for this reason, she must work twice as hard to prove her intelligence and expertise to her colleagues. She must also overcome the expectations and beliefs of her parents, who feel that marriage is a more appropriate path for women and worry that Judy is unable to protect herself. As Judy makes strides in uncovering the cause of Bear’s death and the whereabouts of Barbara, she becomes increasingly confident in her abilities and understands that her gender is not a restriction to her ambitions.
Unlike Judy, Alice largely succumbs to the misogynistic expectations in which she is immersed. Because she marries into a wealthy family, there are strict norms and expectations that she play a certain role to uphold the family’s image and reputation. Her husband therefore exerts an inordinate amount of control over her appearance, parental techniques, and public demeanor, and it soon becomes clear that she has very little control over her own life and circumstances. She must dress conservatively, adopt certain mannerisms when interacting with peers, and assert no opinions in the realm of politics, culture, education, or otherworldly enterprises. Alice therefore finds herself imprisoned in a suffocating lifestyle that denies the essence of who she is.
TJ also suffers from the restrictions of arbitrary gender roles and finds herself on the outskirts of the social circle of Camp Emerson because of her deliberate divergence from established gender norms. She is described as wearing androgynous clothing and maintaining an “unfeminine” appearance, and others deem her strange. Her physical appearance also leads people to spread false rumors that she is engaging in a sexual relationship with Barbara, when in reality, TJ is an intelligent and determined individual whose knowledge of survival skills provides her with a reliable job and serves Barbara well when the girl decides to escape the confines of her own restrictive life.
