53 pages • 1 hour read
Allen EskensThe Life We Bury
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Impossibility of Escaping Your Past
The overall narrative of The Life We Bury, and many of the character’s individual narratives, demonstrate the impossibility of escaping one’s past. Lila finds it impossible to avoid her past when the “slob” accosts her with her old nickname (“Nasty Nash”) when she’s at a bar with Joe. Joe can't unburden himself of his familial past. Andy is confronted with his past (and his past lies) when Lila and Joe show up to ask him about Crystal. Even Daniel’s criminal past catches up with him.
The book’s title speaks to this theme. The use of the word “we” implies a universality, suggesting that all people have experiences to bury. These could be traumatic experiences, such as a rape, war, or death of a close relative. The "life we bury" is likely the event that helped shape us as a person, however. To bury these parts means living as an incomplete person, and therefore, living an incomplete life. Carl identifies the need to live life fully when he tells Joe, “This is our heaven. We are surrounded every day by the wonders of life, wonders beyond comprehension that we simply take for granted. I decided that I would live my life—not simply exist” (195).
The Physical and Mental Impact of Trauma
Many of the book’s characters are psychologically burdened by the stories they try to bury. For instance, Andy has nightmares about Crystal, and Carl is so guilt-ridden about his murder of Gibbs that he becomes suicidal. Some characters carry symbolic scars of their pasts: Carl has a scar on his neck from when he was jumped in prison, and Virgil has a prosthetic leg attesting to his time in Vietnam. Lila has cutting scars that she inflicted on herself following her rape. By the novel’s end, even Joe is physically scarred as his gunshot injuries will presumably leave a mark.
There are parts of life that people try to forget. Though it seems easier to squash down and hide painful memories of trauma, doing so ignores the psychological impact of trauma. Left unaddressed, trauma can manifest into dangerous symptoms, such as suicidal thoughts. Given the significance that the Vietnam War plays in the novel’s plot, this theme also ties in with veterans' issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD has had lasting effects on Vietnam veterans, affecting as many as 15% (PTSD and Vietnam Veterans: A Lasting Issue 40 Years Later. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington D.C., https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/publications/agent-orange/agent-orange-summer-2015/nvvls.asp. Accessed 23 December 2019).
The Multifaceted and Subjective Nature of the Truth
The Life We Bury reveals the complexity of trying to define the truth. The overarching narrative, a story of a man wrongfully convicted, epitomizes the ways that humans can misrepresent, misconstrue, and misinterpret reality. The facts of Carl’s being labeled a “murderer” further complicate matters. Carl is, in fact, a murderer. However, the details of who he murdered and why he murdered them mark a difference as far as whether he is redeemable as a killer. In constantly shaking up the perception of the “truth,” the narrative leaves the reader in a state of doubt. For example, after Joe and Lila are convinced of Carl's innocence, they suspect that Douglas murdered Crystal. However, Douglas’ role switches to victim after he's killed by his own son. The twists and turns of the plot teach the reader, just as Carl tried to teach Joe, to question what is presented as the truth. While Berthel believes in the principle of Occam’s Razor—that "the simplest conclusion is usually the correct one" (72)—the novel suggests that the truth is rarely simple.
Familial Obligation and the Question of What Makes a Family
The Life We Bury raises the question of what makes a family—and what should or shouldn't make a family. The novel suggests that unwavering duty to biological family ties is just as dangerous as unquestioning acceptance of a religious belief system or a “truth” as it’s presented. For example, Douglas protects his biological son, who ultimately kills him. Joe is the antithesis to this, as he has a biological father he has never met and estranges himself from his biological mother. His character’s development is linked to his shifting views on familial obligation. His guilt surrounding Bill’s death is linked to guilt opposite his mother, as he mentioned that Kathy’s condition deteriorated after Bill’s passing. By the novel’s end, however, Joe has unburdened himself of the buried story of Bill (having shared it with Carl) and walks away from Kathy. Joe appears to create a new family with his brother and Lila.
The Universal Nature of Human Violence
The book has two main settings, Vietnam and Minnesota. By portraying grotesque violence in both, the narrative emphasizes the universal nature of human violence. The theme of the universal nature of physical violence, and its traumatic mental and physical effects, is symbolized in the characters' diverse physical ailments: Lila’s cutting scars, Carl’s prison attack scar, Virgil’s prosthetic leg, and Jeremy’s bruise. The varied portrayals of violence also raise moral questions about when, if ever, such violence is warranted. Carl kills Gibbs, for example, and Joe is violent toward Larry and “the slob.” While Carl and Joe are redeemable characters who only act violently to protect others, the question remains whether any human has the right to harm another. This is also touched upon in Joe’s moment of support for the death penalty, after he sees the crime scene photos of Crystal’s murder.
