The Staircase in the Woods

Owen’s destructive nail-biting habit is a motif that highlights both The Long-Term Effects of Trauma and The Pervasive Nature of Guilt. He tends to bite his nails—or his tongue or cheek—whenever he is most anxious. Even when he is young, he recognizes that his brain tends to get stuck in anxiety “loops” in which he thinks the same things until his tension spirals to unbearable levels. The anxiety often results from his desire to escape his house and his father’s emotional abuse. Later, his distress stems from his guilt over failing to follow Matty up the staircase. In adulthood, the pain of these traumatic experiences follows him, causing the nail biting to continue unabated.

When Owen is overwhelmed with guilt and believes that he deserves to be stuck in the nightmare house, “[h]e so desperately want[s] to chew his nails” (223). However, once he begins to feel something stronger than his anxiety or guilt, the desire to bite his nails decreases. For example, after the revelation of Nick’s betrayal, Owen feels “[l]ike his brain [i]sn’t on an anxiety loop. He d[oes]n’t feel that crushing tightness in his chest, d[oes]n’t feel the need to chew his fingers down to the bone. He just want[s] to find Nick and beat him to death” (287). In this way, Owen’s mental state is frequently demonstrated by these external mannerisms.