56 pages • 1 hour read
Jane HarperThe Survivors
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A 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 Individual Experience of Grief in a Collective Tragedy
Jane Harper uses crime writing to conduct a detailed exploration of people and how they operate as humans. In the wake of the natural disaster, Evelyn Bay was left to pick up the pieces both physically and emotionally. The small town was leveled not only by the high winds and torrential rain of the storm but also by the grief of losing three of their residents, all young and in the prime of life. Though Bronte’s death in the present timeline is not brought about by a historic squall, the grizzly crime leaves the town reeling as if they have been battered once again by a torrential tempest. As the residents process the tragedies of both the past and the present, the author explores the different ways those affected experience and process the events giving a highly personalized view of grief and trauma. In a tight-knit community forced to interact with each other, the variable ways individuals deal with trauma can lead to heightened levels of emotion and potential conflict.
The author displays a marked distinction in the grief process between those like Kieran and the Gilroys who left Evelyn Bay and those who stayed like Brian and Verity or Trish Birch. By moving away to a new and larger city, Kieran gained valuable perspective on his situation. Though his move to Sydney did not absolve him of his grief and guilt, it did provide him with an opportunity to put distance between himself and the place where the trauma occurred. Additionally, Kieran accessed valuable mental health services which aided in him the process of acceptance and finding healthy outlets for his grief. However, Kieran still struggles, and through his narration, the author shows how his clouded memories signal compartmentalization and denial of his grief. “The lack of clarity was a defense mechanism, not a physical problem. But he didn’t want to remember, so he didn’t” (96). Once Kieran returns to Evelyn Bay, he no longer has the gift of distance to protect him. Retraumatized by Bronte’s watery death, Kieran is forced to face his memories of that fateful day and decide if he will continue to let the past define him or forgive himself and move forward in his life. However, not everyone affected by the tragedy escaped Evelyn Bay.
Leaving the quaint coastal community they love was never an option for Verity and Brian. Instead of escaping, they remained and tried to go on with life as if nothing had happened. Brian attended grief counseling and Verity consulted books for advice on how to process their loss, but the couple kept their grief private not even speaking about it as a family. Sean Gilroy, who stayed after his brother’s death, also chose to internalize his grief using his care for Liam and the diving business as a cover for his strife. He explains to Kieran that the only way he survives is by ignoring the pain and walling himself off from the grief. Conversely, Trish Birch fully allows herself to feel her pain. Though not all her coping mechanisms are healthy, she does not try to hide her feelings. Once Kieran learns of her backpack ritual, he sees just how raw her grief still is. “Trish looked away now, embarrassed and expose by her grief” (247). Some characters process their pain internally, but Trish wears her anguish publicly. The Laidlers also conduct a very public display of grief when Nick breaks down in the middle of his speech unable to continue and Andrea lashes out promising vengeance on the killer. Whether it be through Verity’s daily yoga practice, Kieran’s daily swim, or Trish’s backpack ceremony, the author explores the unique and divergent ways individuals deal with tragedy and loss. As with Kieran’s interaction with Trish, the most poignant moments in the narrative come when characters bond over their shared grief. Through her detailed character studies, Harper reveals the universal human truth that, though everyone suffers differently, they do not have to suffer alone.
The Effects of Toxic Masculinity
Toxic masculinity is a label for the belief that boys and men should not express or share pain or suffering. The constant suppression of emotions can lead to emotional stunting, poor interpersonal skills, and even violence. It is reflected in the belief that inappropriate and sometimes threatening behavior is a normal part of being male. Kieran and his friends came of age in a time when the phrase “boys will be boys” was sometimes used to justify degrading and dangerous behavior towards women. Kieran learns from his brother Finn that women are something to be conquered and used for gratification, an attitude even applauded by their father and others in the community. However, after returning home and viewing events through new eyes, Kieran comes to see that the brother he idolized held damaging attitudes. The novel explores the ways ideas of masculinity can turn harmful and even deadly.
The storm occurred when the boys were at their most vulnerable. How they reacted affected every aspect of their lives going forward. Ash came from a single-parent home and used landscaping as an outlet but also as a means of income. Mired in the past as evidenced by his behavior towards George, Ash is emotionally stagnant and stunted. He never finished his formal education and was not exposed to a range of thoughts and ideas: “But Ash simply didn’t care. He did what he liked and defended it to nobody” (127). While Kieran’s scope expanded by moving to Sydney, Ash remained stationary geographically and emotionally. Kieran had the privilege of moving away and became more mature than his friends as he developed healthy habits like swimming and attending therapy. The introspection he gained from the tragedy allowed him to shed some of the toxic traits inherited from his father and brother. While his friends continued to act like teenagers, Kieran starts a family and learns that being a man means being a father, supportive partner, and compassionate son.
Having lived much of his teenage life outside of the social circle, Sean appeared to eschew toxic masculinity. Choosing not to participate in romantic and sexual conquests like his friends, he hovered on the fringes keeping to himself. When Kieran asks how he managed his grief over Toby’s loss, he responds, “It’s like a bubble […] I sort of draw a circle around it. Keep it all in there and try to carry on like I would have if it never happened […] It feels a bit easier that way” (148). Burying his grief led to a buildup of anger and bitterness in his soul. Once he reveals the truth of Gabby’s death to Kieran, it becomes clear that Sean’s brooding solitude became lethal. He kisses Gabby without her consent and becomes angry and defensive when she rejects his romantic advance. Instead of apologizing for his mistake, he accuses her of seducing him. In a fit of humiliation-fueled rage, he abandons her in the cave, and 12 years later when he perceives Bronte as a threat, he murders her. The final scene illustrates the divergence of two men raised in the same town choosing different versions of masculinity. Kieran, broken and vulnerable, surrenders to rescue by his fiancé and infant daughter, and Sean slinks off to his demise responsible for the death of two females.
Caring for Someone with Dementia
The Survivors focuses on a town enduring loss after a sudden tragedy, but through the Elliott family, the author examines another type of loss where a family member slowly slips away though their body is present. Brian Elliott survived the loss of his oldest son Finn, but he is now experiencing dementia and becomes dependent on his wife and son. As Kieran struggles with grief over his role in his brother’s death, he must now grieve the slow demise of his father and support his mother as she suffers. Already feeling disconnected from his family over his culpability in Finn’s death, Kieran feels more lost than ever as Brian’s illness has erased Kieran from his memory.
Having been away from home, Kieran was unaware of his father’s condition: “Despite this flashing-red warning, Kieran has still been shocked silent when they’d arrived earlier that day to be greeted by the voice that had once been Brian Elliott” (7). However, it does not take long for Kieran to register the seriousness of the situation. Seeing Brian’s vacant stare, the rotting garbage confusingly packed in boxes, and his mother spoon-feeding Brian like a child is a wake-up call to dementia’s effects on his father’s brain. Brian’s confusion and uncertainty complicate relationships with both the person suffering from dementia and with the other family members. Brian has forgotten Kieran and thinks he is Finn, and Verity, exhausted and overextended with caregiving, has stopped correcting him. While being questioned by the police, Brian’s disorientation and agitation make for a tense moment with the investigator as Kieran worries his father is a suspect in both disappearances. Through Verity’s character, Harper suggests that dementia takes as much from the caregiver as it does from the patient. Through a fragile veneer of positive self-help speak, Kieran can see his mother’s fraying edges. When they must rescue Brian from the water as he splashes and thrashes like a child, Verity collapses on the shore and conceals her sobs as if the entire weight of the burden had crashed upon her. Later, she explodes in a rage, unleashing her pent-up frustration and anger with the disease onto Kieran. Transformed into more of a mother or nurse than a wife to Brian, Verity displays the physical and emotional scars of being a caregiver to someone with dementia.
In addition to complicating the investigation, Brian’s illness destroys any chance Kieran had to receive from his father the forgiveness he desires. Having lost all sense of reality, Brian will never know the truth that Kieran was not responsible for Finn’s death. This realization, though painful, leads to an important breakthrough for Kieran. Knowing he will never receive forgiveness from his father, he chooses to forgive himself allowing him to move forward. In a touching moment, Brian cuddles Audrey thinking it is infant Kieran, a symbolic reminder of the relationship they once had: “His dad looked happy. Relaxing in his family home, a cold drink of sorts on the table next to him, his granddaughter in his arms, listening to his beloved ocean” (327). Kieran makes peace with himself, accedes to the progression of his father’s illness, then reconciles with Verity as they make plans for Brian’s future care. While the tragedy of Bronte’s death affects the entire town, the author gives an intimate portrait of one family’s experience caring for a person with advanced-stage dementia.
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