Never Flinch

The novel centers on the confrontation between three people who all see themselves as activists in different forms. At different times, each wields guilt as a weapon against perceived enemies, and the novel portrays guilt as a corrosive form of manipulation—one whose harmful effects extend far beyond its intended targets.

As a member of the jury in the Duffrey trial, Trig sees himself, his fellow jurors, the judge, and ADA Allen as equally guilty in Duffrey’s eventual murder in prison. For Trig, this is a moral issue reflecting the Blackstone Ratio, in which Duffrey is the “one innocent” who should not have been punished in an ideal system. Trig’s plan to make jurors feel guilty is one that relies on morality, assuming that everyone involved in Duffrey’s trial will understand their own moral responsibility. However, Trig’s methodology involves immoral actions, specifically killing random, innocent people to achieve his moral aim, making the jurors feel guilty. Antagonists Chris/Chrissy and Trig serve as foils for Kate: While Kate’s activism is non-violent and serves the just cause of equal rights for all people regardless of gender, Trig and Chris/Chrissy pursue their ideas of justice through violence against innocent people. All these figures use guilt as a weapon at times, but only for the antagonists does it become all-consuming—a double-edged sword that wounds both themselves and those they see as their enemies.