Novel Assignment
"We Need to Talk About Kevin"
By: Fallon Gordy
Overview
The novel We Need to Talk About Kevin was written by Lionel Shriver in 2011 and is set in the present day. It depicts the inner thoughts of Eva, Kevin's mother, a woman that desperately wants to escape her life after her son, Kevin, decides to kill his classmates, his father, Franklin and his sister, Celia. The novel is composed of a series of letters from Eva to Franklin which, explains the past and present life of the family. Eva reflects on her reluctance to have children, however she becomes pregnant quickly. Then, throughout Kevin's life, Eva struggles to bond with him and begins to develop a hostile attitude toward her son. When she becomes frustrated with six-year-old Kevin, she throws him against a wall which breaks his arm. The mother is desperate for a different life and often longs for her life pre-children when she traveled around the world having adventures and being happy. After Kevin kills his classmates and family, Eva is left to endure the repercussions of his choices. She experiences frequent physical and verbal confrontations from various parents of the victims of the incident. Eva's detachment from society is apparent as she locks herself in her home to drink wine and take numerous prescription pills. Overall, Eva is shown as a mother who may or may not have been able to prevent the devastating events that took place the day Kevin killed his classmates, father, and sister. The detachment and disdain that Eva has towards Kevin is portrayed as a potential contributing factor to Kevin's lack of empathy and anger towards everyone.