King of Ashes

Cosby’s noir thriller offers a bleak exploration of family by depicting how the Carruthers’ bonds collapse under the weight of their trauma. Although Bonita’s death and the subsequent cover-up are the catalyst for the destruction of the family, the origins of their trauma precede Bonita’s death. The three siblings are neglected by their career-focused parents, and Bonita and Keith violate their “sacred covenant with their children” by allowing them to become aware of their marital troubles (301). Witnessing Bonita’s infidelity scars Dante, and both brothers are forever afflicted with guilt and trauma because of their role in her accidental death. In addition, by secretly cremating his wife, Keith commits a felony to shield his sons from criminal prosecution. This action is both a self-sacrificing display of loyalty and a major contributor to the deceit and secrecy that distort the family members’ relationships.

The siblings’ childhood traumas also impact their loyalties to one another as adults. Neveah’s fear of losing another loved one drives her to sacrifice herself on behalf of her family, becoming a “guard compelled to be on watch against the fall of the House of Carruthers” (292). Decades of serving this thankless role embitter and isolate her, which contributes to her ill-fated quest for justice for Bonita and her disastrous relationship with Chauncey. In addition, family loyalty functions as Roman’s hamartia, or fatal flaw, because though it might be conventionally seen as a positive aspect of his character, it leads to his tragic downfall. At the start of the story, Roman’s filial devotion to his father acts as the catalyst that motivates him to hurry home to Jefferson Run. As the novel unfolds, Roman’s hands become increasingly bloodstained as he struggles to shield Dante from the consequences of his actions: “He could never say no to his little brother” (242). The protagonist’s desperation to protect his family propels him to make increasingly immoral choices, illustrating how loyalty, when taken to extremes, can warp relationships.

The weight of family loyalty and generational trauma shapes the story’s ending. Much of the noir novel’s tragedy stems from the fact that the Carruthers’ loyalty to one another ultimately destroys their morality and their relationships with one another. Roman orders Cassidy’s murder in an effort to protect his brother, but Dante dies in a futile attempt to avenge her, ignorant that Roman is responsible for her demise. In addition, Neveah’s loyalty to her deceased mother and Roman’s inability to share the truth with her sooner lead to further tragedy for the family when Neveah murders Keith. The traumatizing revelations that Roman and Neveah divulge in their final conversation sever their bond, leaving their “love blackened and blistered and turned to ashes” (331). At the end of the novel, Cosby gives Roman a new family with Jae and their unborn child, which would, in another novel, be a hopeful indicator for the future. However, with Cosby’s treatment of the topic, Roman’s new family foreshadows the idea that the Carruthers’ trauma and destructive loyalty will plague another generation.