Daniel Balch

Daniel Balch has been murdered by his childhood friend, Jonah, at the onset of the work. Although initially he appears to be a popular athletic boy who succeeds in all that he endeavors, underneath the surface lurks a sense of entitlement. While Daniel and his next door neighbor Jonah played together as young children, the two become separated by the inevitable adolescent social hierarchy. Throughout the work, both his father Isaac, and Jonah himself examine Daniel's complex relationship with Jonah. Shortly after the murder, Jonah takes his own life. The violence that befalls the two boys seems incomprehensible, particularly to Isaac.

Daniel's body is found slashed in the woods, picked apart by animals. Jonah left a note admitting to the murder as well as disclosing the location of Daniel's body. He did not, however, provide any explanation as to why he killed Daniel. Yet Daniel's assent to...