The Good Daughter

The adult Sam, the novel’s second protagonist, is introduced in this section, offering a new narrative voice and perspective. Sam’s entrance is linked with the theme of The Lingering Impact of Violence and Trauma. While for Charlie, the effects of the trauma are psychological and emotional, for Sam the violence has permanently altered her body. Mirroring the detailed description of the way Sam dug herself out of the grave in the previous section, the narrative here describes Sam’s daily effort to keep her chronic pain, stiffness, and speech issues at bay. Author Karin Slaughter does not romanticize Sam’s effort, using a factual, straightforward style to detail Sam’s rehabilitation and current routine. The straightforward description itself conveys the extent of Sam’s injuries, such as when she notes that she had to undergo “physical therapy. Occupational therapy. Speech therapy. Cognitive therapy. Talk therapy, Aqua therapy…learn how to talk again…to think again” (202). Figurative language is used sparely and effectively, such as when Sam notes that after the accident, her thoughts were slowed, moving “as through cake batter” (202).

This section is also marked by the direct appearance of Rusty, creating some change in tone and allowing for a comparison of the differing perspectives and approaches of the Quinn family members. This strengthens the theme of The Complex Dynamics in Families. Viewed through Charlie’s perspective, Rusty seems larger-than-life, an “industrial-sized bulldozer.” Rusty is pushy and hyper and funny, a man hellbent on living life to the indulgent maximum, despite two heart attacks and a double bypass surgery. The banter between Rusty and Charlie shows the irreverent, easygoing nature of their relationship, and also infuses some humor in the somber proceedings. When Rusty spots Charlie’s black eye, he smiles and tells her she looks like “a bandito.” For her part, Charlie calls Rusty an “asshole.” Rusty and Charlie use humor as a coping mechanism to deal with the grim nature of their work, as well as their painful past. Rusty’s stabbing toward the end of this section marks a pivotal point in the plot, not only necessitating Sam’s return but also foreshadowing his death. With their father dead, Sam and Charlie will have no choice but to turn to each other for nurture and help.

Sam’s narrative voice highlights the different ways in which the two sisters view Rusty. While for Charlie, Rusty is an admirable father, for Sam Rusty is the complex, morally grey human being whose work brought trouble home. For Sam, Rusty’s decision to practice criminal defense law led to their house and life possessions being burnt down, to Gamma’s death, and to her life-altering injuries. Rusty might have helped countless others in his pursuits, but Sam wonders if he has done the right thing by his own family. The text does not offer easy answers to Sam’s question, or on the subject of whether those charged with rape and murder deserve a second chance. Rusty’s terming Kelly a “unicorn” shows that he knows most of his clients are guilty to an extent, yet he fights for them because he believes every client deserves a defense. He, like Charlie, also knows that socioeconomic realities play a huge part in who gets branded a criminal, and how a criminal is treated: Rusty believes it is his mission to save people like Kelly from being consumed by The Flaws in the Criminal Justice System.

Social and judicial unfairness is also shown through Kelly’s experience, in which the stigmatization and victim-blaming of a vulnerable young woman seems an unquestioned social instinct in the Pikesville community. The relentless bullying to which Kelly has been subjected highlights how the decks are stacked against her. Charlie notes that her yearbook is scribbled with cruel and offensive statements and her classmates have posted graphic insults comments online. The graphically sexual nature of the comments illustrates not just Kelly’s marginalization, but is tied into the book’s wider treatment of women’s experience of gender-based violence and other forms of sexual marginalization. Women are often shown grappling with violence and discrimination in the text, presented, to a greater or lesser extent, as an everyday lived experience for women, and the sexualized hostility of Kelly’s peers foreshadows the plot point that Charlie is a rape survivor. Sam has struggled to build a career in a male-dominated world, and notes that Gamma’s suggestion to her daughters to go by androgynous names like “Sam” and “Charlie” has proven useful in male-dominated spheres.

The second interlude “What Happened to Charlotte” highlights the narrative device of differing perspectives and also provides vital clues about Charlie’s suffering on the night of Gamma’s murder. One of the most important clues about the veracity of Charlie’s narrative in this interlude is the “Charlotte” in the title. Since Charlie does not go by Charlotte, the text suggests the narrative is formal, concocted, and only partly true. Another clue about the narrative having omissions is the extent of Charlie’s fury after her ordeal in the woods. Charlie is described as wanting both Zach and his accomplice dead, eager to watch Zach urinate himself “when he realized he was going to be electrocuted to death” (198). Since in this version, Zach is thwarted in his attempt to rape Charlie, Charlie’s fury seems misplaced, suggesting there is more to the story. Thus, the varying versions illustrate the textual element of perception versus reality. They also heighten the mystery of the plot. Further, they show the divergence between Sam and Charlie’s characters. In Sam’s perspective, Zach is “black shirt” and his accomplice “high-top,” while in Charlie’s, the accomplice is “Bon Jovi” because of the blond hair visible over his mask. Further, while in Sam’s perspective, Charlie is presented as the pesky younger sister, in Charlie’s perspective, Sam is the bossy older sister with a secret boyfriend who largely ignores Charlie. Charle’s perspective sheds light on Gamma’s hidden illness and explains why Gamma suddenly pulled Sam to her in the first interlude, asking her to take care of Charlie. The fact that Charlie has been noticing the blood Gamma coughs up often, shows Charlie’s perceptiveness and empathy.