Blame is something one person does to another, but guilt comes from within—and our main man, Cam, feels plenty guilty in this book. Also guilty? Gyaar. In fact, most of the characters in The Returning are more than happy to serve up a big dish of blame to the people around them—whether it's fair or not—and by the end of The Returning, we're left wondering whether it's really fair to blame people for the decisions they make during tough times. We can't help but question what we might do in a war if our lives were at stake.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Do guilt and blame work together to bring reformation to any of the characters in this book? Why or why not? Can you have guilt without blame? How about blame without guilt?
- Is it fair for the Downlanders to blame Cam? Why do they? Do you think they would still blame him if he acted differently?
- Why does Cam feel some of the war is his fault? What would you have done differently in his situation?
- At first Graceful blames her dad for setting her up with Gyaar, but later on she likes her life as an Uplander. What does this say about blame and guilt?
Chew on This
Cam believes that he doesn't have a right to talk about the war, because he thinks it was his fault.
Graceful's change of heart shows us that she doesn't really blame her dad for arranging her marriage to Gyaar, and she ultimately understands it was necessary.