Not a Happy Family

The Merton family is wealthy. The Merton estate, upon Fred and Sheila’s deaths, is worth roughly $30 million, and each of the Merton siblings stands to inherit an equal portion of this wealth. But within this family, such immense wealth is simply not enough to guarantee happiness.

The Merton children have never known anything but limitless wealth. They cannot comprehend anything but their own privilege; their own ends justify any means. Their father built his empire through cold ruthlessness, and he passed this mindset down to his children, pitting them against each other. He teaches them that there must be a “winner,” and that as Mertons, there are heavy expectations placed on them—expectations that, according to Fred, all of them failed to meet. The Mertons’ wealth colors all of their external relationships, too. The subplot of the friendship between Catherine Merton and Rose Cutter reveals this difficult truth: “Catherine is a dear friend, but she’s always been jealous of her for having everything Rose doesn’t have” (138). Their relationship disintegrates as soon as Rose is revealed to be Fred’s secret daughter—and, thus, entitled to some of his fortune.

Growing up with immense wealth ensures only competitive acquisition among the siblings. The Merton children see the murders of their own parents as a freeing event: “The truth is, they’re all so much better off now that their parents have been murdered” (61).