Gun Violence Theme Analysis

Gun violence is an ongoing crisis in the US, and This Is Where It Ends comments on this state of affairs by chronicling a school shooting in the fictional town of Opportunity, Alabama. The shooter, Tyler Browne, is a disaffected high school student whose rage and grievances stem from a strong sense of male entitlement, which he derives from his father. Through the character of Tyler, whose profile matches that of many real-life shooters, the novel argues that gun violence perpetrators are shaped by the environment in which they grow up, leveling a critique not just against these individual men but the society that produces them. This nuanced psychological portrait of Tyler contrasts with the novel’s presentation of the shooting itself, which is often sensationalized and unrealistic and focuses on the behavior of a few students in a position to help others rather than the plight of those who can do nothing. Ultimately, this strategy reduces the novel to what is essentially an action-driven battle between the villainous Tyler and the heroic students who fight him, rather than an indictment of the broader social ills that engender situations like this.

Like many real-life shooters in the US, Tyler is a young white man nursing a series of grievances and a strong sense of his own entitlement. Some of these grievances are legitimate: Tyler feels that his community didn’t do enough to help him recover after his Mom’s death, which may be true. He’s also upset about his sister Autumn’s plans to leave him behind to pursue her dance career, a feeling that reflects understandable anxiety about change and sibling relationships.

However, Tyler’s anger stems not only from a fear of losing his sister but a feeling that he’s entitled to control her life. In order to prevent her from leaving, he repeatedly exposes her plans to their abusive Dad, who also disapproves of Autumn’s ambitions. Tyler’s behavior shows that he thinks it’s acceptable to sabotage his sister in order to further his own interests.

Tyler also believes he has the right to punish people for failing to go along with his plans. Threatened by Autumn’s romantic relationship with Sylvia, he threatens his sister’s girlfriend and later rapes her. Telling her that she’s getting what she “deserves,” Tyler displays a belief that his own desires come before anyone else’s, and that it’s acceptable for him to dispense punishment to those who stand in his way. When Autumn confronts him during the shooting, he self-righteously tells her that the whole thing is “your fault.” His belief that other people deserve to die for opposing his will is indicative of the extent of his entitlement.

It’s important that Tyler seeks to exercise control primarily over the women in his life; he clearly learns this behavior from his father, who is generally kind to him but abuses Autumn and dismisses her plans to become a dancer. The similarities between Tyler and his father show that his actions aren’t totally random. Rather, they spring from the behavior of a parent that the town has tolerated—and perhaps even dismissed as natural paternal authority—for years beforehand. In this sense, the novel levels a powerful critique against male entitlement, which society often accepts but which can quickly escalate into violence and destruction.

Despite creating a complex picture of Tyler’s motivations, the novel presents the events of the shooting as a sensationalized fight between the evil Tyler and the unequivocally good students who fight him, a technique which arguably trivializes the actual horror of school shootings and undermines the novel’s social critique. While the novel carefully depicts some of Tyler’s flaws through his behavior toward Autumn and Sylvia, during the shooting he makes several seemingly irrelevant racist and homophobic comments. These moments detract from his status as a nuanced antagonist indicative of specific social ills, and transform him to a stock villain with a meaningless collection of evil characteristics.

Conversely, most of the novel focuses on the efforts of a few ingenious students to save the others, highlighting a kind of agency and possibility for heroism that doesn’t exist in many gun violence scenarios. Even in the midst of trying to save their lives, the protagonists always have time to eloquently express their bravery and devotion: before their mutual deaths, Tomás and Tyler both give lengthy speeches about their motivations, and Claire and Chris find time to declare their love for each other and kiss while also aiding the police and securing the school. By carving out space in the midst of the action for these moments, the author attempts to create tension and drama, thus engaging the reader’s sympathies. However, these moments could also be seen as ineffective or even inappropriate in describing a crime that deprives young lives of their potential and meaning.

This Is Where It Ends convincingly links gun violence to the uncontrolled male entitlement that pervades the novel’s society. However, by focusing on sensationalized villainy and heroism during the events of the shooting, the novel seems to undermine its overall project, deflecting attention from a broader American problem that individual heroism is insufficient to solve.