Burn

The novel systematically reveals how traditional sources of authority and power become corrupted during civil conflict, transforming from sources of protection into agents of destruction. Throughout the narrative, institutions and figures that should provide safety and stability instead become primary sources of violence and social breakdown.

Military authority, traditionally associated with national defense and civilian protection, becomes particularly perverted. The federal Marines, rather than maintaining order, engage in systematic destruction of civilian areas under the pretense of quelling riots. This corruption reaches its apex when military helicopters, symbols of state power and protection, gun down an unarmed woman in a rowboat. The presence of the number “49” patches on soldiers further emphasizes this theme, showing how federal authority has turned against a single state, transforming protective forces into instruments of punishment.

The novel also examines how power dynamics at the local level mirror these larger corruptions. Collie’s father, though positioned as a sympathetic character, wields his military authority to orchestrate destruction, demonstrating how even personal motivations can perpetuate systemic collapse. Meanwhile, the absence of major civilian leaders highlights how unchecked militarization and power vacuums lead to moral decay.

The discovery of explosives in Collie’s house reveals how her father, a colonel, has turned his military authority toward destroying infrastructure and civilian passages. Even civilian authority figures are absent from the narrative, with no police, emergency services, or local government appearing to protect citizens. Instead, these power vacuums are filled by armed groups who execute bound prisoners and burn bodies, representing the complete inversion of legitimate authority.

Political power itself becomes corrupted, as demonstrated through the transformation of democratic disagreement into violent conflict. What began as “secession mania” in Maine’s population centers versus rural communities devolves into systemic violence. The assassination of the president serves as the ultimate symbol of corrupted political authority, where political disagreement transforms into lethal action. Even state boundaries, fundamental expressions of political authority, become both more rigid and more meaningless, with state National Guards mobilizing against federal forces.

The corruption of power is also reflected in the psychological toll on those tasked with wielding it. Characters like Collie’s father demonstrate how the pressures of maintaining authority in a fractured society lead to morally compromising decisions. This internal conflict highlights how the very systems designed to provide order and safety are eroded by the people responsible for upholding them.

By portraying the systemic corruption of authority, the novel underscores the fragility of power structures in the face of civil strife. It questions whether authority can ever remain neutral in such conflicts, suggesting that power often gravitates toward oppression and self-preservation. In this way, the novel critiques not only the abuse of authority but also the societal conditions that allow such corruption to thrive. This theme also highlights the psychological toll of corrupted power on those who wield it. Collie’s father’s emotional breakdown as he sends her away underscores the deep moral conflict inherent in maintaining authority during crisis. Similarly, the novel juxtaposes the Marines’ systematic violence with the soldiers’ implied humanity, suggesting that corruption is not solely structural but also deeply personal. By portraying authority figures as both perpetrators and victims of corruption, the novel emphasizes how power can erode not only societal structures but also individual morality, blurring the lines between oppressor and oppressed.