Gild

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination, emotional abuse, sexual violence, and death.

This theme is explored through the protagonist and narrator, Auren. In real-world abusive relationships, the sense of captivity is often emotional or symbolic in nature, but in Gild, Kennedy depicts captivity in its most literal form: an actual cage. This stylistic choice allows her to examine the impacts of intense abuse in its most extreme forms; just as abusive relationships are often concealed beneath romantic language and charm, Auren’s literal cage is also dressed up with golden beauty and luxury accommodations. Yet, as Auren cynically states in Chapter 2, “a cage is a cage, no matter how gilded” (22). Her words demonstrate that on one level, Auren fully understands that her captivity is harmful and wrong, even as she claims that she chose to hide in a cage and prefers its safety to the threats of the outside world.

Auren’s initial preference to remain in her cage rather than facing the world’s threats stands as a crucial component of the psychological impact of captivity. Though Auren herself is unaware of the fact, the narrative clearly shows that she has been brainwashed into accepting her captivity through years of Midas’s manipulation, coercion, and threats. Midas controls Auren by promising her love and protection and simultaneously threatening her with punishment and violence if she “misbehaves.” To cope with this constant abuse, Auren has convinced herself that Midas loves her, and she interprets any cruelty on his part as a result of his supposed desire to protect her from the world or his duty to punish her for acting contrary to his wishes. In this way, Kennedy seeks to depict the most common lies and manipulations that real-world abusers employ to control and terrorize others.

As demonstrated in the novel, this form of manipulation becomes most effective when there is an enormous power imbalance between an abuser and their target; such imbalances often arise due to differences in age, wealth, or status, and as Auren’s situation shows, manipulative tactics works best on those who are most vulnerable—such as children who have already suffered traumatic experiences. This dynamic is illustrated by the fact that when Midas first found Auren, she was a child caught in a system of exploitation, violence, and poverty. Auren’s descriptions of these early events in her life indicate that Midas may very well have rescued her from a dire situation. However, in the years after this first meeting, he then used his savior status as leverage, convincing Auren that his particular brand of abuse is an accurate depiction of love. Lacking any other relationship for comparison, she came to believe that she owes him her loyalty, love, and obedience.

Auren is therefore conditioned by years of captivity and abuse. Despite Midas’s many wrongs, she nonetheless craves his attention, touch, and approval, regardless of whether he is using charm or threats to keep her controlled. Additionally, she mentally protects herself from the trauma of her situation by convincing herself that she deserves any ill treatment she receives. It is therefore crucial that the novel depicts Auren as an unreliable narrator, and accordingly, the stark differences between her misguided beliefs and the events she describes demonstrate the true depths of Midas’s cruelty and abuse even when she cannot perceive it. Additionally, Auren’s trust in Midas is based on her belief that any cruelty she receives from him is better than the threats of violence that she would face in the world beyond her cage. This dynamic implies an unspoken agreement that she will suffer abuse from Midas, and only Midas, in exchange for his protection from everyone else. Ironically, Midas destroys this tacit agreement when he gives Auren to Fulke, shattering her foundation of trust and unwittingly beginning her path toward self-discovery and empowerment.