For much of The Rules of Survival, Matthew and his siblings are convinced that life just isn't fair. After all, they're stuck with a violent and emotionally-abusive mother who lashes out at them for no reason, and things don't seem to change, even when Matthew takes the initiative and talks to his dad about their situation. It looks like they're stuck here forever and that Nikki is just going to continue getting away with her bad behavior. With Murdoch, Ben, and Aunt Bobbie's help, though, they eventually get justice when Nikki loses custody, and things turn out okay after all.
Questions About Justice and Judgment
- Do you think that Matthew really regrets what happened to Julie? Why or why not?
- Why doesn't Nikki calm down after her first stint in jail? What does this say about the justice system?
- Why do you think Nikki doesn't come back for the kids after her failed kidnapping of Emmy?
- How come it takes so long for the law to realize that Nikki is a terrible mother?
Chew on This
Matthew expects that the state of Massachusetts will be the entity to bring Nikki down, but in the end, the kids win because of the hard work of three individual adults—Murdoch, Aunt Bobbie, and Ben.
Even though Murdoch understands why Matthew feels like killing his mother would be an act of justice, he stops him because he does not want Matthew to have to live with that kind of guilt and darkness.