Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, blood, domestic violence, and child abuse.

The impact of childhood trauma on adult behavior is one of this novel’s key themes. Through the author’s depiction of Harry’s mentorship and guidance, the contrast between Dexter and Brian, and Dexter’s influence on Astor and Cody, the author explores the cycle of violence, noting some instances in which it becomes self-perpetuating and others when it is interrupted or broken.

Lindsay does not reveal the exact nature of Dexter’s childhood trauma until late in the narrative, but even Dexter acknowledges that something horrific must have happened to him to leave him with such a strong orientation toward violence: “Whatever made me the way I am,” he explains, “left me hollow, empty inside, unable to feel” (15). As a young man, Dexter felt strong urges to kill, and it is only Harry’s intervention that saves him from becoming a cold-blooded murderer without honor or morals. Dexter’s lack of empathy, interest in violence, and struggle to form meaningful attachments are all rooted in the terrible event he witnessed as a child: Dexter watched helplessly as his mother was brutally killed by cartel operatives and then sat in a pool of her blood for days before being discovered by Harry and the Miami police. Although he suppresses this memory, it resurfaces when he meets his biological brother, Brian. Through the brothers, the text illustrates one of the most tragic consequences of early, violent experiences in children: The “cycle of violence” becomes self-perpetuating as survivors of violence and abuse become perpetrators themselves.

Of course, it is not a foregone conclusion that a child who endures violence will become violent. With early intervention, it is possible to interrupt the cycle of violence. This is what happened, albeit only in part, in Dexter’s case, and it is what he tries to ensure happens with Rita’s daughter and son, Astor and Cody. Their father was a serial domestic abuser who subjected Rita to years of violence. Astor and Coy witnessed much of their father’s abusive behavior, and Dexter worries they will grow up to become victims of further abuse or perpetrators of it. While he can never completely rid himself of the urge to kill, he knows that with Harry’s help, he has harnessed its power to rid the world of evil men, and he wants to provide that kind of guidance to Rita’s children. He takes an interest in their lives, engaging with them, attending their school functions, and recognizing their achievements. He tries to show them it is possible to recover from traumatic events and that not all fathers and father figures are abusers.

Another key example of the different ways childhood trauma impacts adult behavior is the contrast between Dexter and his biological brother, Brian. Both boys witnessed their mother’s brutal murder, but Brian became the kind of remorseless killer that Dexter would have without Harry’s guidance—a cold-blooded murder with no morality or honor. Brian was a year older than Dexter at the time of their shared “traumatic event,” and he was not adopted by someone kind like Harry. He has a Dark Passenger like Dexter, but he does nothing to reign it in, choosing his victims among the innocent rather than the guilty. Once a victim, Brian becomes a perpetrator. He embodies the powerful gravity of cycles of violence and abuse, which some people never escape, especially not without support.