In The Rules of Survival, Nikki is constantly surprising her kids—and not in a good way. She doesn't cut their sandwiches into cute shapes, or take them on road trips to Disneyland… No, Nikki is constantly keeping her children on their toes by absolutely terrifying them with her erratic behavior. Matthew, Callie, and Emmy grow up without the sense of safety or security, even when they are at home. It's exhausting and no way to live, especially for a bunch of kids. This fear drives Matthew to seek help and to change their living situation, though—it forces him to act.
Questions About Fear
- Do you think the kids are ever in any real danger around Nikki? Are there differences between emotional and physical abuse? Which scars are hardest for the kids?
- Why wasn't Julie Lindemann aware of the risks of egging on Nikki?
- Why doesn't Ben take Matthew seriously at first when he claims that Nikki is dangerous?
Chew on This
Although fear can be useful in alerting you to danger, the kind of constant fear that the Walsh kids live with isn't useful. Instead, it starts to destroy them and their will to live.
Matthew is so drawn to Murdoch from the very beginning because he doesn't act like he's afraid of abusive parents—he stands up to them without fear of violent repercussions.