53 pages • 1 hour read
This Is Our Story
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Themes
The Unfair Advantages Given to Privileged Persons
This Is Our Story criticizes the unfair advantages given to privileged persons. The overarching theme is introduced early on in the book, as Kate notes in Chapter 2: “I hate the legal system. Hate it. I’ve learned that not all who should go to jail do. And not all who should walk free will” (20). The River Point Boys seem to recognize their advantages. Despite being suspected of a possible murder, they “look happy and carefree, just as boys with bright futures and privileged backgrounds should look” (13).
Throughout the narrative, the unfair advantages conferred on the privileged River Point Boys—all rich, white males from powerful, well-connected families—is emphasized repeatedly. They never seem to get in trouble for their actions, even when they blatantly break the law. Henry, for instance, has been pulled over for drinking and driving multiple times but never arrested.
Kate’s character repeatedly flags such injustice. Her character is painted as the antithesis of privileged, as her and her (single) mother’s difficult financial status are emphasized. However, even Kate has some level of privilege. She received her internship because her mom already worked for Mr. Stone. Additionally, although the book does not delve into questions of race, Kate is presumably a white woman—a fact that in itself confers some level of privilege.
The Indestructible Nature of the “Good Ol’ Boys” Club
Beyond a general criticism of the unfair advantages given to privileged persons, This Is Our Story critiques a certain sector of privilege: the Good Ol’ Boys Club. In the American south, where the book is set, a “good ol’ boy” is generally a white, wealthy male, often from a family of “elite” social standing. The family might have “old money” going back for generations, for instance.
This is an invisible “club” that people like Shep, John Michael, Henry, and Logan are born into. From youth, they nurture relationships and friendships within this group, connections that will eventually give them valuable adult connections to help them succeed in business, for example. (Nelson, Audrey. “Women and the Good Ole Boys Club.” Psychology Today, 28 March 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/he-speaks-she-speaks/201703/women-and-the-good-ole-boys-club). They can use the wealth and connections they are born with to generate even greater wealth and connections—as is seen in John Michael’s father’s ability to pay off Gaines to win lucrative constructive contracts.
Such a boys’ club is often seen as a sort of brotherhood. The language used by the River Point Boys speaks to this fact. John Michael introduces the notion in the book’s first pages: “I watch my friends, who are more like brothers, and know this won’t end well for any of us” (2). Later, as the boys become splintered, he looks optimistically towards the future, saying, “We will be like brothers again” (109). Shep likewise refers to the boys as his brothers. Ironically, John Michael kills one of his “brothers” to protect his actual blood relation, his father.
The Flawed Criminal Justice System
Kate reiterates that the legal system is flawed, prioritizing people with privilege over those who lack means, money, and connections. The circumstances surrounding Shep’s charge of second-degree murder show just how fallible the justice system is. John Michael describes the process as “easy, really. Almost too easy” (278). The fact that even a privileged and well-connected white man like Shep can be falsely accused of a serious crime like murder—and very well near convicted—shows the instability of the legal system, which is meant to mete out justice. It’s only because of Kate that Shep is saved. For a non-privileged person, or a person who doesn’t have a champion for justice like Kate in their corner, the situation would likely be hopeless.
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