A Great Reckoning

Abuse from an authority figure is an important theme in the novel and drives a major plot component. Leduc can manipulate new cadets because he lies and seduces them, making them feel special and that they need him and should do whatever he tells them. As Brébeuf grimly notes, Leduc possessed “stupidity and power. A dangerous combination […]. Especially for anyone young and vulnerable” (356). He preys on the weaknesses and insecurities of the young cadets to make them more malleable. For example, Amelia explains that Leduc told her that if she refused to go along with him, “he’d let you throw me out” (341), knowing that Amelia has nowhere else to go and is terrified of being expelled from the academy. As Huifen explains, “He chose us. And he broke us” (342).

The novel develops the theme of abuse from an authority figure by grimly revealing that when someone who holds power manipulates someone more vulnerable, it can cement the bond between them. Lacoste draws a dark analogy between what is happening at the academy and domestic abuse, explaining that “abused children become desperate to please the abuser, to appease them. They learn early and quickly that if they don’t, they pay a price” (222). Gélinas notes the same pattern and uses this speculation to develop his suspicion of why Gamache would have been driven to kill Leduc, explaining that “they kept running back to Leduc. To their abuser. There was only one way to save them. And others” (229). In a sense, Gélinas is correct because the cadets never reveal the horrors of what is being done to them. They are only saved when Leduc is killed and when Gamache finally realizes what has been occurring.

Because they were being hurt by someone they trusted, the cadets need a new authority figure to step in and replace Leduc. Gamache seems like a possibility, but they are wary of him because they have been lied to by Leduc. Jacques eventually reveals that Leduc had told them that “Gamache is a coward. He ran away from the mess he made and how he’s trashing the academy” (150). Because the cadets are in Leduc’s thrall, they are inclined to believe whatever he tells them, and Leduc cleverly turns them against anyone who might lead them to question his actions. Gamache’s failure to understand what is going on also erodes his ability to step in as a new authority figure; as Huifen explains, “We trusted you, sir. […] We thought when you arrived it would end, but it only got worse” (342). Nonetheless, some of the cadets, especially Amelia, do come to see Gamache as an alternative authority figure, someone they can truly trust; as Amelia points out, “You seemed so […] kind” (341). Even though he is imperfect, Gamache steps into the void left by Leduc to offer a far different type of care and guidance to the cadets.