The Perfect Son

Content Warning: The source text includes references to physical assault, psychological manipulation, child abuse, and animal abuse. Additionally, the source material uses offensive terms for mental health conditions throughout, which are replicated in this guide only in direct quotes of the source material.

Scenes of Erika cooking eggs for her family’s breakfast bookend the novel, appearing at both the beginning and the end. Eggs are a motif emphasizing the theme of The Safety and Expectations of Families. On the surface, Erika’s cooking eggs for her family is a domestic act that paints her as a stereotypical stay-at-home mom. She makes her family a hearty breakfast instead of relying on store-bought or processed foods. Additionally, at the beginning of the novel, Jason’s many egg puns paint him as a stereotypically goofy dad. It’s difficult for Erika to take Jason seriously because his humor is so silly, leading her to believe he is harmless.

Eggs also represent the theme of The Threat of Inheritance and Genetics. An embryo is created with an egg and sperm. By making eggs, Erika is emphasizing the fact that Liam has inherited half of her genes—genes that she eventually sees as flawed due to her father’s criminal history.