Leather & Lark

Because almost every character in the world of the novel is comfortable with the idea of killing for reasons of revenge, convenience, or business, the novel avoids addressing the ethical considerations of such a lifestyle and focuses instead on the more mundane concerns that beset each character’s love life. Thus, the moral issues of serial murder become less important than the murderers’ underlying motivations for their actions. In this light, Lark is portrayed as heroic, for unlike the men she kills, she uses her own personal code to target those who are themselves guilty of murder or abuse. Because this pattern of behavior is her “norm,” her main internal conflict lies in her inability to fully express her authentic self.

The novel therefore makes it a point to illustrate that personal authenticity is challenging, especially for people like Lark who have experienced extensive trauma. As many of her interactions show, Lark in particular struggles to be authentic and is prone to shifting her behavior, chameleon-like, so that she becomes whoever the people around her need her to be in that moment. However, as the novel unfolds, Lachlan helps Lark to recognize the various ways in which she is hiding her true self. With his influence, she begins to heal and becomes more authentic—although within the world of the novel, such healing does not necessarily require her to stop killing. Despite the inherent backdrop of violence that informs each character, Lachlan himself finds benefits in his journey to help Lark, for he becomes a more authentic and happier version of himself. He also begins to accept his own trauma and recognizes that he can be loved for who he really is.

After Lachlan realizes that he must grow to understand Lark, he uses his observational skills to discern the many ways in which she hides her true self. He notices that when she is “[o]ut in the world, it’s like she needs to be everything to everyone, with nothing left for herself at the end of the day” (142). Lachlan realizes that Lark is destroying herself in an attempt to help everyone around her, and she is so skilled at hiding her own pain that no one seems to notice. Lark hides her darker elements, concealing her exhaustion and her lust for violence and revenge, presenting a cheerful exterior that masks her true thoughts from those around her. When Lachlan finds out that Lark is a serial killer, she expects him to reject her, so she puts up a façade of indifference. Instead, Lachlan orchestrates matters so that Lark can kill Dr. Louis Campbell and finally gain a sense of resolution for the abuse that she experienced as a teenager. This is a crucial emotional turning point for Lark, because she finally feels understood and loved for who she is, despite and even because of her murderous tendencies.

After accepting the dark parts of herself and opening up to Lachlan and Sloane, Lark realizes, “I thought I’d end up lonelier if I wasn’t who they wanted me to be. But it doesn’t really work that way. You still live with your true self on the inside” (259). Although she thought she would be abandoned for revealing her true self, she is amazed to discover that her community still supports her unconditionally. Likewise, Lachlan has always believed that he was unlovable because of his own trauma, so he kept everyone but his brothers at a distance. When he tries to understand and help Lark, he falls in love, and this emotional transformation also revolutionizes his understanding of himself. He no longer feels the need to hide his own scars, because Lark accepts and loves even the darkest parts of him. It is therefore notable that Lachlan describes Lark as his “light” in the darkness, for through the benefit of her influence, he sees himself more clearly and finally embraces all aspects of himself. The arc of Lark and Lachlan’s relationship therefore embodies the challenges of embracing authenticity, and their unlikely bond also illustrates the strength of a relationship that is built on mutual trust and acceptance.