The Breakdown

Cass’s husband, Matthew Anderson is one of The Breakdown’s two antagonists. For most of the book, his role as the antagonist is hidden from readers. He portrays himself as a loving, supportive husband. Behind the scenes, however, he willfully torments his wife in a scheme to make her (and eventually the legal system) think she’s insane. Based on context, his conscious motivation seems to be his desire to gain control of Cass’s wealth and to be with Rachel. However, he’s unaware that Rachel is manipulating him too. Matthew’s motivations and desires remain uncertain because the novel’s point of view is limited to Cass’s knowledge and perception. For this reason, in addition to his lack of a backstory or transformation, this makes Matthew a fairly flat and static character.

Descriptions of Matthew’s words and actions, through Cass’s viewpoint, portray him as loving, understanding, and supportive. From the first scene, when he has Cass promise not to take Blackwater Lane because of the storm and because he doesn’t want her on her own in the woods at night, Matthew seems protective of his wife. His ability to portray himself in these positive ways is a testament to one of his real character traits that the novel eventually reveals: He’s manipulative. Once Cass sees Matthew’s text messages to Rachel, she realizes his true nature. The texts appear in the novel, which uses indirect characterization to let readers assess Matthew’s character. He takes cruel pleasure in Cass’s fear and guilt. His texts thematically demonstrate How Gaslighting Weaponizes the Fragility of Memory and Perception and expose the calculated and deliberate nature of gaslighting.

Cass’s best friend, Rachel Baretto is the second of the novel’s two antagonists. Like Matthew, her role as an antagonist is hidden from readers for most of the book because it characterizes her through the filter of Cass’s perception. Cass sees Rachel as the older sister she never had, who selflessly took care of her after her mother died. Rachel’s habit of buying Cass a souvenir tea towel every time she travels paints a picture of a deep, authentic friendship and portrays Rachel as thoughtful and loyal. Cass’s comment about wishing Rachel and Matthew liked each other more makes it seem as though Rachel’s priority is her friendship with Cass, reinforcing her characterization as loyal. This portrayal of her character is upended when her text messages to Matthew reveal her deception. Her ruthless disregard for Cass’s suffering exposes how selfish and callous she is at heart.

Though Rachel’s character isn’t nearly as round and complex as Cass, she isn’t quite as flat as Matthew. The novel reveals more of her backstory, which informs her motives in the book’s central conflict. Her father abandoned the family shortly after she was born, and her mother had to work long hours. Rachel, therefore, spent lots of time at Cass’s house and became like a second daughter to Cass’s parents. She left school at 16 and started working to help her mother financially. These hardships instilled in Rachel a sense of entitlement and resentment toward those who don’t have to work as hard to meet their needs. She resents Cass for inheriting her parents’ wealth, half of which she feels should have been left to her. This resentment induces Rachel to seduce Matthew and conspire with him to gaslight Cass.

Although she’s murdered at the beginning of The Breakdown, Jane Walters maintains an important character after her death, which catalyzes the story’s conflicts. Little is revealed about her personal life: She’s married, has two-year-old twin daughters, and works for the same company as Rachel. When Cass met her, she felt they would become close friends, as if she’d found a kindred spirit. This unmet expectation exacerbates Cass’s emotional response to Jane’s death. Jane’s murder is a source of overwhelming guilt and fear for Cass. Following Jane’s death, the event haunts Cass. When a friend mentions it, Cass notes, “The dark cloud that is Jane descends on me” (44). This metaphor reveals the emotional weight Cass attaches to Jane’s death and to the guilt she feels about not intervening on Blackwater Lane.

Because compassion for Jane affects Cass so deeply, Matthew and Rachel exploit Jane’s death to manipulate and terrify Cass. The revelation that Rachel murdered Jane to keep her affair with Matthew secret emphasizes the extent to which Rachel will hurt others to protect her own interests. Thus, Jane’s character amplifies features of both Cass and Rachel’s characters and their troubled relationship.

After Jane’s death, her husband, Alex Walters, must raise their two-year-old twin daughters alone while grieving her loss and coping with public curiosity and speculation about his role in her death. The novel characterizes him indirectly, through his letter to Cass and subsequent face-to-face interactions with her. He seems kind, thoughtful, and genuinely grieving. Despite his own pain and loss, he sympathizes with what Cass is going through and takes time to comfort her. The novel leaves just enough reason to keep Alex on the list of possible suspects. For example, his assurance to Cass that her caller isn’t the murderer echoes similar assurances from Matthew and Rachel, prompting readers to question how he could be so sure unless he’s the murderer.

Alex’s grief, kindness, and assurances prove genuine in the end. His function in the story, then, lies in helping Cass resolve her conflicts. As Jane’s widower, Alex makes Jane’s death more emotionally fraught for Cass. The plight of Jane’s family increases Cass’s feelings of guilt over not making sure she was okay on Blackwater Lane and potentially preventing her death. In the aftermath, Alex’s perspective on the situation gives Cass clarity. His awareness of her interaction with Jane that night means that he understands the reason for her fear, so his belief that her caller can’t be the killer is more meaningful to her. Additionally, Alex’s character provides the path for Cass to overcome her crippling guilt. She reflects, “If anyone can help me in my quest for peace of mind, it has to be Alex” (199). Once he forgives her, she’s able to work on forgiving herself.