All the Little Raindrops

During the first part of the narrative, Evan and Noelle develop a strong attachment despite their antagonistic personal history prior to captivity. This causes each of them to seek comfort and understanding in the other, though their continued contact causes them pain as well. Dr. Vitucci later explains the concept of a shared trauma bond to Evan, saying that such bonds “are very, very strong because […] they mean survival […] Sometimes that bond is even mistaken for deep love, but it’s a love that feels desperate and possessive” (184). This complication informs the evolution of the bond between Evan and Noelle, leading to questions about whether they are really in love or simply trauma bonded.

Trauma bonds are a well-documented psychological phenomenon, although they are most commonly associated with relationships between abusers and those they victimize or with other scenarios involving a power imbalance and violence or cruelty (e.g., a cult). The bond typically develops when the person being abused cannot escape their abuser and when the abuser alternates between cruelty and relative kindness. This creates a dynamic in which the person experiencing the abuse feels dependent on their abuser for their physical or psychological survival.