Previous
Chapter 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Great Alone, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Trauma and Violence
Paranoia and the Vietnam War
Isolation
Family and Community
Death and Grief
Coming of Age
Summary
Analysis
In the days following Geneva’s death, everyone in Kaneq is in mourning. Leni spends her time trying and failing to write Matthew a letter. When they arrive in town for the funeral, Leni sees the most vehicles she has ever seen in Kaneq at the same time. During the funeral service, Leni spends her time trying to catch Matthew’s eyes, but he never looks at her. After a touching speech honoring Geneva, the service ends.
Although Leni wants to help her grieving friend, she continues to be unable to deal with complicated, adult subjects such as death. Also, again in this passage there is an indication of the importance of community in Kaneq. Everyone comes out for Geneva and the Walker family, and the loss they all feel is genuine.
Themes
Everyone leaves the church and heads over to the local bar. The Walkers enter last, and everyone moves to console them as they arrive. The only exceptions are Earl and Ernt, both of whom continue to make snide comments about the Walker family. It doesn’t help that both are drinking heavily and that Ernt is jealous when he sees Cora console Tom Walker. Cora and Thelma tell the men to have some respect on the day of a funeral, to no effect.
The exception to the kindness and compassion exhibited at Geneva’s funeral comes from Earl and Ernt, and it marks a turning point for their characters. Although neither was previously likeable, here they become outwardly antagonistic, and their behavior begins to divide the town and the Harlan family. Once again, though the women present try to keep them in line, the men pay them no attention and continue to behave rudely.
Themes
When Leni sees Matthew alone, she walks over to him. She wants to console him but does not know what to say. Instead, she briefly greets him and then stands next to him silently. Eventually, Matthew speaks up and says, “He blames me,” referring to his father. Leni tells Matthew that there’s no way that’s true, but it doesn’t seem to help. Instead, Matthew begins crying hysterically. A few moments later, Alyeska comes over to console Matthew. Alyeska is Matthew’s older sister who is home from college for the funeral. Alyeska introduces herself to Leni and tells her that she is glad Matthew has someone like Leni in his life. Despite not knowing Alyeska, Leni immediately feels bonded to her.
Unlike her father, Leni wants to be a positive force for the Walkers, although she still hasn’t figured out how to help Matthew. However, Alyeska shows up and proves herself to be a positive female role model for Leni. Meanwhile, Matthew is racked with guilt, and while there may not be truth to what he says about his father, he feels alone and distant, even with Leni and Alyeska nearby.
Themes
The drive home is quiet for the Allbrights until Ernt begins an argument with Cora about how she touched Tom Walker. Tensions continue to rise on the drive home and when they arrive at the cabin, Ernt drags Cora inside and hits her twice in the face. Cora falls to the ground, her facing bleeding. Leni is paralyzed; she has never seen anything like this before and does not know what to do. Ernt stomps out of the cabin.
Ernt continues to morph into the novel’s villain by becoming exactly what was foreshadowed by the likes of Mrs. Golliher and Marge. His violence is shocking, sudden, and brutal, and he shows no restraint, even with Leni present. Like Matthew, Leni has just witnessed an event that will haunt her forever and it alters how she sees both of her parents.
Themes
Get the entire The Great Alone LitChart as a printable PDF.
Regaining her composure, Leni moves to help her mother. In an instant, she realizes that incidents like this had happened before; she’d regularly seen bruises on her mother, but only now is she able to connect the dots. Cora says she is fine and that this is what it means to love someone who is sick. Not long after, Ernt returns and immediately apologizes to Cora. Although Cora forgives Ernt, Leni is terrified by the incident. She realizes that the true danger of living in Kaneq is not what is outside of her cabin, but what is inside of it.
The cycle of violence present in the Allbright family is typical of households in which domestic abuse is present: anger slowly builds, violence occurs, and then apologies are handed out. However, though Cora may not recognize the severity of her situation, Leni certainly does. She lives in one of the most dangerous places in the world, and yet she fears what is inside her own home more than what is outside of it.
Themes
