Leather & Lark

Because almost every character in the world of the novel is comfortable with the idea of killing for reasons of revenge, convenience, or business, the novel avoids addressing the ethical considerations of such a lifestyle and focuses instead on the more mundane concerns that beset each character’s love life. Thus, the moral issues of serial murder become less important than the murderers’ underlying motivations for their actions. In this light, Lark is portrayed as heroic, for unlike the men she kills, she uses her own personal code to target those who are themselves guilty of murder or abuse. Because this pattern of behavior is her “norm,” her main internal conflict lies in her inability to fully express her authentic self.

The novel therefore makes it a point to illustrate that personal authenticity is challenging, especially for people like Lark who have experienced extensive trauma. As many of her interactions show, Lark in particular struggles to be authentic and is prone to shifting her behavior, chameleon-like, so that she becomes whoever the people around her need her to be in that moment. However, as the novel unfolds, Lachlan helps Lark to recognize the various ways in which she is hiding her true self.