Revenge and Justice
What This Theme Explores: Rock Paper Scissors delves into the murky depths of revenge and justice, portraying them not as noble pursuits of righteousness but as twisted, intensely personal acts of retribution. The novel questions whether true justice can ever be achieved through vengeance, or if such actions merely perpetuate a cycle of pain and suffering. It explores how past traumas and betrayals can fuel an all-consuming desire for payback, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator and leading to devastating consequences.
How It Develops
The theme of revenge and justice evolves from subtle marital discord to a full-blown, meticulously planned vendetta. Initially, the narrative introduces minor acts of retribution within the failing marriage of Adam Wright and Amelia Wright. Their anniversary trip to Scotland, ostensibly a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, is actually fraught with hidden agendas. Amelia intends to abandon Adam, a form of revenge for his years of emotional neglect, while Adam plans to leave her, retaliating against what he perceives as a suffocating marriage.
As the story progresses, the arrival at the isolated Blackwater Chapel amplifies the sense of unease. Strange occurrences, such as mysteriously opening doors and unexplained power outages, hint at a larger, more sinister plot at play. This external force represents a deliberate campaign of psychological revenge, transforming the couple's private struggles into a shared nightmare orchestrated by an unknown antagonist.
The climax reveals the full scope of Robin's elaborate scheme, driven by her desire for revenge against Adam and Amelia for their past affair, which she sees as her deserved justice. The final twist, revealing Amelia's role in the death of Adam's Mother, ignites Adam's own quest for a brutal form of revenge, completing the cycle of retribution.
Key Examples
Several key moments in the novel underscore the characters' motivations for seeking their own forms of justice.
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Amelia's Initial Revenge Plot: From the beginning, Amelia's plan to leave Adam in Scotland is a quiet act of vengeance for years of feeling invisible in their marriage. Her narration reveals a cold determination to punish him for his emotional distance:
What he doesn’t know is that if things don’t go according to plan, only one of us will be going home.
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Robin's Psychological Warfare: Robin's revenge is not swift but a slow burn of psychological terror. She manipulates the environment of the Blackwater Chapel to prey on Adam and Amelia's fears, turning their romantic getaway into a prison. For example, she slashes all four tires on the car, ensuring they are physically trapped. She also creates the snowman-scarecrow of Henry Winter to mock Adam's reverence for him and leaves Bob's collar on Henry's grave, a cruel and targeted act designed to cause maximum emotional distress.
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The Climactic Letter: Robin's ultimate weapon is knowledge. She uses the format of her anniversary letters—once a symbol of love—to deliver the devastating truth about Amelia's past. This act transforms an intimate tradition into the ultimate tool of revenge:
The car they caught her in was the car that killed your mother.
This revelation shatters Adam's perception of his marriage and fuels his desire for retribution.
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Adam's Final Act of Justice: Upon learning Amelia's secret, Adam's focus shifts from escaping his marriage to enacting a final, deadly form of retribution. His choice to align with Robin and betray Amelia is presented as his ultimate act of justice for his mother's death, highlighting the destructive power of vengeance.
Character Connections
Each main character is both a perpetrator and a victim in the cycle of revenge, driven by a personal sense of injustice.
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Robin: As the primary architect of vengeance, Robin's actions are born from the ultimate betrayal by her husband and her best friend. Her intricate plot to lure them to the isolated chapel is a calculated effort to reclaim power and deliver what she perceives as righteous justice. She becomes the judge, jury, and executioner in a trial of her own making, highlighting the dangers of taking the law into one's own hands.
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Amelia Wright: Amelia begins the story seeking minor revenge for marital neglect but becomes the target of Robin's far grander scheme. Her entire relationship with Adam is revealed to be a misguided attempt to atone for her past crime—a twisted form of self-punishment that ultimately fails and leads to her demise. This illustrates how past actions can haunt individuals and lead to unforeseen consequences.
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Adam Wright: Adam is the central figure upon whom the intersecting plots of revenge converge. He initially plans to exact his own form of justice by leaving Amelia. However, when Robin's letter reveals the truth about his mother's death, his motivation transforms into a raw and primal need for vengeance, making him an active and willing participant in the final, tragic outcome. This transformation underscores the corrupting influence of revenge and its ability to override reason and morality.
Symbolism
Feeney uses several key symbols to represent the destructive nature of revenge and the perversion of justice.
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Blackwater Chapel: A former place of worship, the chapel becomes a profane stage for judgment and retribution. Its isolation physically traps the characters, forcing them into a reckoning with their past sins. It symbolizes how sacred bonds—like marriage and faith—can be corrupted by the desire for vengeance.
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The Anniversary Gifts: Traditional symbols of love and marital milestones are weaponized. The discovery of the gifts Adam gave Robin in Henry's desk fuels her quest for revenge. The anniversary theme itself becomes the chilling framework for her plot, culminating on the date of her wedding to Adam.
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The Game of Rock, Paper, Scissors: This childhood game of chance is a recurring motif that symbolizes the power dynamics, choices, and fatalism inherent in the characters' conflicts. In her final letter, Robin frames Adam's fate as a game with three options, positioning herself as the one who controls the outcome. Scissors, the final, unspoken option, symbolizes a violent severing of ties.
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The Stork Scissors: An object once belonging to Robin's mother, likely used for creative acts like sewing, is transformed into a symbol of potential violence in the final confrontation. It represents how instruments of creation and domesticity can become weapons when twisted by the need for revenge.
Contemporary Relevance
The theme of revenge and justice is highly relevant in a contemporary culture often characterized by public shaming and "cancel culture." The novel acts as a dark allegory for the dangers of seeking personal retribution in an age where grievances can be aired instantly and reputations destroyed. It taps into the primal human desire to see wrongdoers punished but serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting how a personal sense of injustice can fester into a destructive obsession. Rock Paper Scissors reminds readers that the pursuit of an "eye for an eye" is a dark path that often leaves everyone blind.
Essential Quote
People say that revenge is best served cold, but I don't think they know what they're talking about. It's best served piping hot, straight from the fires of hell.
This quote encapsulates the consuming and destructive nature of revenge. It suggests that the desire for retribution is not a rational or calculated act but a passionate, all-consuming fire that can lead to devastating consequences. The imagery of "fires of hell" emphasizes the dark and morally questionable nature of seeking revenge, highlighting its potential to corrupt and destroy.