Satan's Affair

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of religious discrimination, sexual violence and/or harassment, rape, mental illness, child abuse, child sexual abuse, death by suicide, substance use, graphic violence, sexual content, cursing, and physical abuse.

Sibby’s worldview relies on the assumption that she can determine whether someone is good or evil, and she passes judgment on evil people, whom she calls “demons.” Superficially, this pattern of behavior aligns with Dr. Rosie’s conclusion that Sibby is delusional, but her actions open a broader discussion of vigilantism and the debate over how people should respond to “evil” acts and individuals. Dr. Rosie takes a hard stance on this topic, telling Sibby: “Even if every single one of them were evil people, that wasn’t for you to act on” (156), but Rosie’s position begs the question of how and what people should do in response to evil acts. Based on Sibby’s upbringing, the authorities are not a reliable source of justice, and she knows that for most people, “pure or not, murder is wrong in their eyes, even if it’s justified.” (19) However, she dismisses this view as weakness. Sibby sees people like Rosie as enabling their own victimization, rather than “tainting” themselves by killing evil people who would harm them.