Everybody's Fool

The novel considers the effects that parents have on their children through the examples of several male characters. The ego-centric Roy Purdy, who is utterly devoid of empathy, is portrayed as capable only of violence. However, the novel refuses to make a flat villain out of this man; his self-pity—as well as his brutal childhood—evokes a degree of pity. Moreover, Cora’s reflections on the hopeless odds stacked against people such as herself and Roy ring true. On the other hand, Purdy’s descent into crime and aggression is not fated. Readers learn that Sully also suffered at the hands of his abusive father, which foregrounds the role of personal choice in shaping destiny. A counterpoint to both Sully and Roy is Clive Junior. Born to one of the most genuinely functional and loving households in North Bath, he nonetheless pursues self-serving ends in direct contrast to his mother’s legacy, seeking to exploit his fragile community for economic gain while avoiding facing the consequences of his actions.

Raymer’s split personalities make literal the novel’s interest in Public and Private Lives. The uncomplicated outlook of the ruthless Dougie, who is the embodiment of what Raymer typically keeps hidden from others, ironically makes Raymer a more efficient police officer—Dougie thinks fast when faced with William Smith’s snake, apprehending one of the novel’s least nuanced antagonists. At the same time, Dougie has little of the sense of civic duty which attracted Raymer to the role of public servant in the first place. While Raymer’s internal division is extreme, other characters’ private selves are also outwardly displayed in this section. Jerome’s suave, cosmopolitan veneer crumbles as his human frailty comes to the fore. Not only does Jerome have an extreme phobia of snakes, but the man is also being set up as a scapegoat for the inevitable job losses that the process of merging of the police departments of North Bath and Schuyler Springs will entail.

The coming demise of North Bath’s public institutions is not the only demonstration of the inexorable decay of North Bath. In this section, we see another failed private business turned to shady practices, echoing events at the Old Mill Lofts. The now-abandoned but once-opulent Sans Souci Hotel is the former site of sex work and off-the-book rentals by Sully’s father; currently, it is a hideout spot for the vicious Roy and a target of Clive Junior’s suspect development deals. At the same time, there are glimmers of hope offered as always. Not all commerce in North Bath is illicit; Zack’s surprising revelation that his much-scorned business has actually amassed considerable profits suggests that worth may be hidden under the least promising exteriors, a motif that will be further explored in the novel’s closing chapters.

Finally, the novel creates several moments of connection and unity, as groups of people find each other and offer each other support. Ruth and Zack stare transfixed at the strange blue flame created by the lightning strike, using this isolated moment of mystery and beauty to temporarily transcend their gloomy surroundings enough to have sex for the first time in years. Sully forms domestic links with Zack and Ruth when he protects Ruth from Roy; their bond recalls his earlier quasi-family dynamic with Beryl, Clive, and Clive Junior. Charice’s conflicting loyalties to Raymer and Jerome also illustrate the complex and often unorthodox nature of emotional obligations. The novel argues that the community is tied together in networks that are vitally important, but are not necessary based on biological heritage or monogamous coupling.