The Quiet Tenant

Aidan’s crimes occupy the furthest extremes of depravity and sociopathy. Aidan presents a clear and present danger to women, but he also stands as a representation of many such real-life murderers, for “Rachel’s” recollections of her own experiences emphasize the pervasive, unmitigated, and frequently unpunished offenses that are regularly perpetrated against women. According to crime statistics published by the FBI, cisgender men account for nearly 89% of the perpetrators of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, 97% of forcible rapes, and 77% of aggravated assaults (U.S. Department of Justice, “Arrests by Sex, 2019.” FBI, 2019). As a serial killer, Aidan is an exceptional case even among murderers, but as a violent criminal, he is not a rarity. Aidan’s narcissism also allows him to believe that he has gained full control over “Rachel,” and it does not occur to him that she has retained a sense of agency and still plots to escape. Like many predators who have no natural enemies, Aidan has never been able to consider himself prey, and has therefore failed to consider that he is not the first predator “Rachel” has encountered. Tellingly, surprise is the only emotion that “Rachel” does not feel when Aidan assaults and kidnaps her; as a woman who has been attacked before and who has grown up with an awareness of crimes in general, “Rachel” simply feels devastated to have been targeted; she is not shocked that someone like Aidan exists at all.