Family Loyalty

The Central theme of the novel is Family Loyalty. The theme is explored from two opposing perspectives through the characters of Coralie and Eddie and their respective relationships with their fathers. Coralie is loyal to her father despite his awful mistreatment of her whereas Eddie is disloyal to his father despite the fact his father has done nothing wrong. Each character follows the opposite path to the other throughout the novel: Coralie must gradually learn to betray her father and break free from his influence and Eddie must learn to forgive his father and return to his family and community roots. The perspective of both characters is influenced by the fact they have been raised in a tight-knit community with limited interactions with the outside world. Coralie cannot fully understand how abusive the Professor is because she has nothing to compare him to, just as...