Throughout the novel, Gerald has a strained relationship with both of his parents who ignore Tasha’s abusive behavior for various reasons. As someone who values appearances and performing well for the outside world, Gerald’s mother enables Tasha’s harmful actions in the household by covering up her antics on reality television. She noticeably favors Tasha, neglecting Gerald and Lisi in the process. The reasons behind this becomes clear when Gerald overhears his mother’s admission about feeling emotionally estranged from Gerald and Lisi, declaring, “They’ll never love me […] And I don’t blame them” (224). Rather than tend to the reasons contributing to this emotional estrangement, she resigns herself to her favoritism of Tasha at her other children’s expense. It later becomes clear that Tasha abuses her mother, creating a co-dependent and abusive bond between the two.

Gerald’s father acknowledges that Tasha is a major barrier to a happy family as he blames her for causing a rift in his marriage. Gerald’s mother’s strong preference for Tasha not only impacts her other children but also her relationship to Gerald’s father, who seems to identify with Gerald. He says that he is “in the same creek on the same boat with the same shitty paddle” (137) as Gerald, because he wishes to leave the household too but does not know how. Gerald’s father eventually moves away from his wife and daughter, taking Gerald with him.

Gerald’s oldest sister, Tasha has terrorized Gerald since he was a young child. While it is not clear why she is so exceptionally cruel, Lisi diagnoses her as a psychopath, and she is someone who takes pleasure in causing pain to others. Her violent behavior does not just extend to Gerald and Lisi but also to her mother. Gerald witnessed Tasha physically harm their mother when he was younger, but he could not intervene because he “didn’t know the word for psychopath then” (173) or how to make sense of what he saw.

In addition to her violent tendencies, Tasha also has no impulse control, demonstrating an inappropriately high sexual drive at a young age with no sense of abashment for how she performs sexually in front of others. Gerald recalls seeing Tasha hump pillows on the couch and how she would invite boys over for sexual intercourse when she was underage. While these acts do not physically harm Gerald, how Tasha operates consistently places Gerald in uncomfortable positions.

Lisi is Gerald’s other sister. Tasha also abused Lisi while growing up, and Lisi lived in fear of her sister, like Gerald. Lisi determines to leave her traumatic household, so applies for scholarships, gets into college, and leaves. Though she loves Gerald and supports him, she never calls home.

Hannah, who refers to herself as the “junkman’s daughter” (181), is Gerald’s love interest whose reciprocated love transforms his life for the better. Consumed by his own problems, Gerald does not realize until later that Hannah has her own homelife issues. After her brother goes AWOL following his return from military service, her mother has been struggling with her mental health. Hannah must take on most household chores to take care of her entire family. After running away with Gerald, she still possesses deep concern and love for her family despite resentment over her treatment. By setting confronting problems directly, Hannah creates positive changes for herself and sets an important example for Gerald.