53 pages • 1 hour read
Harlan CobenThe Boy from the Woods
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Social Context: Horseshoe Politics
United States politics is usually depicted in a linear fashion, with the left wing on one side, the right wing on the other, and moderates in the middle. Horseshoe political theory posits that political positions are not linear but instead proceed along a horseshoe shape. In other words, extremists are more similar to each other than they are to centrists and moderates (“Horseshoe Theory | Political Examples, Effects & Criticism.” Study.com, 2024). The theory was popularized by French writer Jean-Pierre Faye in his 1996 book Le Siècle des ideologies (The Century of Ideologies). Faye held that “the political left used just as much hate, fearmongering, and bullying as the political right,” while the centrists “use minimal fearmongering and other negative tactics” (“Horseshoe Theory”).
Horseshoe politics is referenced several times in The Boy From the Woods. It is Rusty Eggers’s main political strategy and is often demonstrated on Hester’s television show when she argues and verbally cuts down guests whose stances oppose her own. Saul Strauss and Gavin Chambers also demonstrate this through their actions. While they may be opposites in terms of political stance, they team up to oppose Rusty by going to extremes—kidnapping Crash, demanding incriminating video footage as ransom, and cutting off Crash’s finger as punishment.
In contrast, Wilde and Hester are more moderate in their practices—regardless of their personal politics, they adhere (mostly) to the legal system in place. Hester, as a lawyer, is required to do so but also firmly believes in trusting the system. Wilde, who has a bit more flexibility where legality is concerned, nevertheless adheres to the legal framework in place—he stops the kidnapping operation, but only after the videos are sent out, and he works with Hester and Oren (a lawyer and a cop) to find the missing teenagers. In this way, Coben weaves observations of the contemporary US political landscape into his legal thriller novels via the viewpoints and actions of his major and supporting characters.
Sociohistorical Context: The Innocence Project
The Innocence Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1992 by attorneys Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck. The organization works to research and implement “criminal justice reform, using DNA and other scientific advancements to prove wrongful conviction” (“History of Impact.” Innocence Project, 2024). The Innocence Project has implemented laws at the local, state, and federal level; improved the usage and validity of DNA evidence in trials; and held police and prosecutors to greater accountability, especially for BIPOC minors during interrogations. The project has freed over 350 people and counting, and 80% of the organization’s funding “go[es] directly to the Innocence Project’s programs to free and protect the innocent and to prevent wrongful convictions” (“History of Impact”). While the organization was originally established in New York, the project has expanded to many US states and even some international organizations.
The Innocence Project is not mentioned by name in The Boy From the Woods, but its significance is depicted through Raymond Stark’s plight. A minor marijuana distributor at the time of Anson’s murder, Raymond was wrongfully convicted as the perpetrator and given a life sentence in prison, all because of faulty eyewitness testimony and scapegoating. To add insult to injury, prisoners sought justice on behalf of Anson’s family and attacked Raymond in prison, torturing him and breaking his spine. Raymond believes that his circumstances likely contributed to his late mother’s terminal cancer and dreams of one day being freed from his hell. Raymond is the ideal candidate for an Innocence Project defense.
While Hester is not an attorney affiliated with the organization, she has the ability, reputation, and connections to help him, especially when she learns about Dash’s video footage implicating Rusty in Anson’s murder and Delia’s own involvement. Hester, after learning about Raymond from Wilde, also clearly desires to help the innocent inmate. However, Hester’s hands are tied due to her previous contract with the Maynards and the subsequent attorney-client confidentiality agreement. Thus, as much as she wants to, Hester cannot directly help Raymond herself due to conflicts of interest; all she can do is hopefully suggest his case to someone else with equal clout and hope that Dash’s video footage, now released to the public, can help clear Raymond’s name—before Rusty manipulates the media to discredit it. In this way, Coben indirectly references the need for the Innocence Project and illustrates the imbalanced relationship between the US criminal justice system and perceived “criminals” of color.
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By Harlan Coben
