Beartown

Even amid the novel’s largely hockey-themed plotlines, the author finds multiple ways to emphasize the psychologically and socially damaging nature of secrets, as many of the characters’ actions are motivated by shame, guilt, and regret. Ironically, the secrets in Beartown often cause the most damage to those who attempt to keep them hidden. As some secrets come to light while others remain buried, it is clear that only those characters who find the courage to voice the truth are able to maintain their integrity and ultimately move on with their lives.

The exposition of the novel establishes the fact that many of the characters are already harboring secrets or unresolved emotions. For example, several of the coaches carry lingering regrets over their past failures to fully realize their goals in the world of hockey, and this emotion affects their actions in the present. On a more serious note, Maya’s parents both feel intense guilt over the fact that they were unable to prevent the death of their son, Isak, and this unspoken anguish complicates their reaction to Maya’s experience with rape. The novel implies that they feel equally guilty over being unable to protect her from the cruelties of the world either.

Of all the characters, however, Maya is the one to grapple most intensely with emotions of shame and fear and the double-edged blade of keeping and revealing secrets. After Kevin rapes her, Maya’s initial reaction is to keep this fact a secret because she understands that the social and political biases of Beartown will ensure that she sees little to no justice if she reveals what happened. The society-deep injustices of this myopic small-town community therefore foster and perpetuate secrets and shame, for the townspeople’s unhealthy focus on hockey compels them to ignore ethical considerations in the all-consuming drive to compete and win. In this context, when Maya chooses to tell the truth and publicize Kevin’s crime, she actively defies the culture of silence that holds her town in thrall. By contrast, Kevin’s mother spends much of the final portion of the book hiding her knowledge that her son is guilty of rape, and even Amat tries to keep the secret of what he saw for a time. However, only by telling the truth—and boldly facing the complex consequences—can characters like Maya and Amat finally break free of the damaging pressure of keeping secrets.

Additionally, the novel’s characterization of Benji adheres to the dominant theme and is a prime example of “form follows function.” By deliberately concealing Benji’s sexual identity until near the end of the story, the author creates a narrative pattern that mimics the false narrative that Benji perpetuates about himself. For the majority of the novel, the author describes Benji’s various behavior issues and acts of aggression without providing an explicit explanation for these patterns. As the boy’s troubled behavior manifests again and again amid the novel’s larger plotlines, it gradually becomes clear that the effort of hiding his inner truths has taken an excruciating toll upon his energy and has compelled him to play an inauthentic role to fit the expectations of a town rife with anti-gay biases.

Ironically, when Benji trashes the school bathroom to conceal Maya’s destruction of the mirror, this indicates a turning point in his mindset, for his destructive act is designed to protect her from further harm or blame. Thus, Benji has shifted from protecting Kevin to protecting those whom Kevin has wronged. However, Benji must still undergo additional growth, as is indicated when his romantic interest, the bass player, tells him that big secrets make small men. This statement means that keeping a significant secret about one’s identity results in limited options for a fulfilling life. Ultimately, many of the characters learn that without secrets, there is far less potential for shame. However, because nearly every character has something they wish to hide, Beartown remains rife with secrets, even in the aftermath of Maya’s public stand.