What does the novel have to say about the power wielded by a perpetrator of domestic violence, and the long-lasting effects of that abuse?

Carl Bright is shown through the novel to have been an aggressive and violent man, but his abuse was not always of a physical nature. What does the novel have to say about the power wielded by a perpetrator of domestic violence, and the long-lasting effects of that abuse?

Carl's aggression was definitely passed along to one son and seemed to break the spirits of the other two - not to mention the affect on his wife. We also see how this behavior is modeled into future generations so the damage becomes self-perpetuating."The Lost Man" seems to apply to all the male members of the Bright family in addition to the mythological one.

Nothing new here, really. The men always get away with it, their women hide it and often pretend that it isn't happening, as Liz did. And of course it is the only way the next generation knows, so it is perpetuated. What was different was how that chain was broken in the end.

Physical and mental abuse is generational. I have seen this in my own family which is now (as far as I can conclude) on it's fourth generation. Fortunately, the next generation has no girls and the boys are being raised by single mothers (fingers crossed).

Many studies determined that physical domestic violence is often passed from one generation to the next. This novel also took on the lack of power that those being beat, whether physically or emotionally, feel they have to try to cover the impact of their damage. Reader reaction to the guitar/book segment was visceral. Many other situations could be imagined. The feelings of Harry for Liz were only hinted at, but Harry could have been a stronger character--except for the storyline!

The power of domestic violence carries down through generations. The effects color every action, or inaction, taken by the abused. It creates isolation, hugely exacerbated in this case by the area in which the family lives, and in most cases, the abused make excuses for the abuser, trying to hide what's really happening from the outside world.

The victims keep secrets and then get revenge. The perp may think he has the upper hand, but, oh, watch out.

Perpetrators of domestic violence are often coming from an abusive situation in their own childhoods. Since they likely felt powerless in their formative years, when they reach adulthood, they, consciously or subconsciously, crave the power their abusers had over them. Thus the abusive cycle continues through generations of families. When abusive treatment is all family members have known, they consider it normal behavior. Jane Harper's novel deftly shows both the abuse and its effects. We can only surmise whether each family member will heal or remain forever damaged, lost souls.