The Return of Ellie Black

Content Warning: This source material contains depictions of abuse, neglect, suicide, sexual violence, substance use disorders, and murder. Additionally, this source material discusses racism and sexism.

Emiko Jean explores the impact of trauma through Ellie and Chelsey’s guilt over their pasts. Though Ellie experiences PTSD and anxiety over West’s sexual and physical abuse, it is her guilt about Gabrielle’s murder that proves the most significant stumbling block to recovery. Chelsey feels similar guilt over Lydia’s presumed murder, and it leads her to repress her trauma and fixate on work. Both Ellie and Chelsey believe that they must atone for their past “mistakes,” which the novel suggests is a key manifestation of trauma.

One of the primary ways West and Doug manipulate the girls they kidnap is through victim-blaming; they make those they kidnap feel responsible for their own circumstances, as well as for the circumstances of those around them. This culminates in the scene when West forces Ellie to betray Gabrielle to save herself. Ellie’s ensuing guilt over Gabrielle’s murder severely impacts her ability to heal; she believes that she can never be forgiven for her role in Gabrielle’s suffering despite the fact that she was acting under coercion. In this