The Cabin at the End of the World

One of Wen’s two fathers, Andrew is Eric’s husband; they are the novel’s joint protagonists, and much of the narrative unfolds from their viewpoint. As a gay couple, they’ve faced societal discrimination and represent the challenges of being gay in a world where prejudice persists. In addition, Andrew survived an antigay assault. The attack’s profound and lasting impact on Andrew’s psyche underscores the theme of The Traumatic Effects of Violence.

At the beginning of the novel, Tremblay presents Andrew as the most relaxed of Wen’s parents, and he playfully ridicules Eric’s anxieties about their daughter’s safety. However, another side of Andrew’s character emerges when the intruders arrive. Unyielding, he meets the claims of the strangers with anger and defiance. Throughout the home invasion, Andrew is the voice of rationalism. A professor of English, he’s well-versed in the allure of apocalyptic rhetoric and has an explanation for every one of the group’s mystical claims.

While Andrew is immune to the intruders’ persuasive conversion techniques, his perception of events isn’t as objective as he’d like to believe. His viewpoint illustrates the theme of Subjectivity and the Impact of Personal History. He becomes convinced that Redmond is Jeff O’Bannon, who attacked him years earlier, despite Eric’s doubts and a lack of proof. Andrew’s belief that Redmond is O’Bannon demonstrates that despite his secular mindset, he seeks meaning and purpose in the chaotic events.

Andrew’s role as a husband and father drives his behavior and decisions. His love for Eric and Wen compels him to take decisive action against the intruders. At the same time, he’s plagued by the fear that he may fail to protect them. Andrew is consumed with guilt when his actions inadvertently lead to Wen’s death—the event he was determined to prevent.

Andrew’s husband and Wen’s adoptive co-parent, Eric is profoundly committed to his family, as evident from the novel’s beginning. Tremblay emphasizes how becoming a father has fundamentally changed Eric’s character. Described as “laid back in his approach to everything in his life, except parenting” (36), he’s the anxious father who constantly warns Wen about potential dangers, to the extent that Wen and Andrew have ironically nicknamed him “Daddy Fun.” Although Wen and Andrew laugh at Eric’s overprotective manner, however, his anxiety has proven well-founded on several occasions. For example, he expressed reservations when Andrew bought a gun. Eric’s concerns about Wen playing alone at the cabin coincide with the appearance of Leonard and his companions.

More cautious and considered than Andrew, Eric is thoughtful and has a strong sense of moral integrity. When Andrew is overwhelmed with anger, Eric stands in for his husband’s conscience. For example, Eric dissuades Andrew from killing Leonard, reminding him of the distinction between murder and shooting Adriane in self-defense. Throughout the home invasion, he tries to reason with the intruders.

Eric’s Catholic faith indicates his tendency toward spirituality. Consequently, he’s more susceptible to the group’s apocalyptic claims. As the narrative progresses, he becomes more physically and psychologically fragile. The extent to which his concussion and spiritual beliefs distort his perception of reality foregrounds the theme of Subjectivity and the Impact of Personal History. Tremblay casts Eric as a potential martyr because he becomes increasingly convinced that he should sacrifice himself for the good of humanity. However, at the end of the novel, Andrew dissuades him from doing so.

The leader of the intruders, Leonard appears before the others, approaching Wen outside the cabin. Although the novel doesn’t explicitly state Leonard’s role as the head of the cultlike group, it’s apparent from his behavior. His initial appearance intentionally evokes the Bible’s First Horseman of the Apocalypse. He’s alone, and his “bright, starched-looking” shirt identifies him as the “white rider” (76).

Leonard is a contradictory and ambiguous figure. He introduces violence and chaos to the serene setting of the cabin. However, he’s hardly a straightforward antagonist. His size makes him an imposing physical presence, suggesting a latent and potentially dangerous strength. In contrast, his personality is quietly understated, and he displays an open, childlike air. The rapport he quickly establishes with Wen gives credence to his claim that he works with children as a sports coach. Throughout the text, Leonard’s calm, unthreatening manner remains jarringly at odds with the brutal nature of his mission.

His behavior during the home invasion underscores the theme of The Nature of Faith. Leonard displays the characteristics of religious fanaticism in his insistence on the truth of his prophecies—and in his triumph when they appear realized. The shift to Leonard’s narrative perspective gives insight into his thought processes, revealing that he experiences guilt about his role in Wen’s death and believes that Redmond may have been Jeff O’Bannon, as Andrew suspected. Despite these doubts, Leonard clings to his original plan. His narrative shows a character so profoundly invested in his predictions that he feels unable to turn back.

Throughout the story, Leonard’s character arc undergoes a gradual but dramatic decline. The quiet power he exudes at the start of the novel wanes as he loses control of events, and the imagery that describes him reflects his character’s diminishment. Wen likens him to a great bear at the start of the text, but he’s reduced to a defeated “King Kong.” Finally, in death, he’s “misshapen, grotesque, an unfinished monster” (214) whose earlier self is unrecognizable.

His name and red shirt suggest that Redmond represents the Bible’s Second Horseman of the Apocalypse. From the moment he and the other intruders arrive at the cabin, he appears out of tune with the demeanor of the rest of the group. Unlike his companions, he’s unapologetic, verbally aggressive, and enjoys breaking and entering. He conceived and made the “barbarous-looking” weapons they carry. Initial impressions of Redmond come into clear focus as the text reveals that he served time in jail and made inappropriate sexual comments on the group’s message board. Despite the group’s claims that they’re united, the other intruders are noticeably uncomfortable in his company. Although Redmond is the least personable of the intruders, he’s the most clear-sighted and honest about the nature of their mission. His ridicule of the group’s attempts to appear nonthreatening after the break-in highlights the hypocrisy of his companions.

Redmond is the first of the group to be sacrificed and, although terrified, doesn’t try to escape his fate. His willing submission to the ritual starkly contrasts with his earlier pugnacity, emphasizing the strength of his fanatical beliefs. After violently killing Redmond, the rest of the group tries to erase signs of the deed by cleaning the cabin’s interior. Nevertheless, his body remains visible outside its doors, a sobering reminder of the violence the intruders are capable of.

After Redmond’s sacrifice, the text’s ambiguities intensify as Andrew contests the dead man’s identity. Andrew’s conviction that Redmond was Jeff O’Bannon raises further questions about the group’s motivations, but Andrew’s subjective viewpoint and personal history may have led him to a mistaken conclusion. Tremblay intentionally leaves the question open, giving no definitive proof either way.

A black shirt likens Adriane to the Bible’s Third Horseman of the Apocalypse. Like Leonard and Sabrina, she initially tries to present herself as a “normal,” unthreatening person, revealing that she’s a cook in a Mexican restaurant. However, from the moment she enters the cabin, Adriane exudes an unsettling nervous energy. Her amiable facade slips as the likely moment of her sacrificial death approaches. Angry and agitated, she’s prepared to torture the family to change their mind. As events in the cabin become increasingly volatile, Adriane behaves like a caged animal prepared to fight to the death. Tremblay figuratively compares her to a lion or tiger as she lunges at Andrew “from a semicrouched position, teeth bared in a silent snarl” (179). Her unleashed aggression highlights the capacity for violence within “everyday” people. She’s the second of the intruders to die when Andrew shoots her in self-defense.