The Good Samaritan

The “anchor” is a recurring motif that represents Laura’s twisted search for psychological stability and moral grounding. For Laura, an anchor is not a set of principles but rather a person whose vulnerability and dependency she can use to steady herself. This concept is key to understanding her fractured psyche and her Rewriting Reality to Reconcile Trauma. Her father’s final words to her were, “Once you find your anchor, never let go of it. No matter what” (102). She internalizes this advice and applies it to her son, Henry, who has an intellectual disability. Because of his complete dependency, he becomes her perfect anchor, an unchanging and “pure” being who needs her. Her apparent devotion allows her to obscure her own role in the fire that caused his disabilities, transforming her guilt into a righteous, stabilizing purpose. Her connection to Henry also provides the justification for other horrific actions. After facilitating a suicide, for instance, she thinks of her anchor “until calmness once again [takes] control of [her] body” (6). This ritual demonstrates that her murders are intrinsically linked to her need for emotional regulation.

Laura’s reliance on anchors reveals the link between her past and present cruelty. Before Henry, her anchor was Nate, an unhoused man with an alcohol addiction whom she bullied as a child. As an adult, Laura’s behavior toward him is more outwardly compassionate, but she is largely exploiting his weakness for a sense of control. The anchor motif exposes the paradox at her core: She perpetrates extreme harm to maintain her own self-perception as a martyr and victim.