Us Against You

Throughout Us Against You, characters struggle with their independent selves in the context of their community. Characters feel isolated in this small town in the middle of the woods, and they struggle to decide if this solitariness is positive or negative. Backman explores this theme through the examination of how different characters navigate their individual personas with their roles in society. Every character in Us Against You has their own inner turmoil. Peter has guilt over his daughter’s rape and the subsequent and related dissolution of Beartown Ice Hockey; Kira has oppressed her own personal and professional goals; Maya struggles with the trauma of her rape; Ana is all alone and responsible for her alcoholic father; Benji is afraid of becoming like his father; and Teemu carries the burden of taking care of everyone.

Because these issues are personal, the characters hide feelings and realities from one another. In their community, standing out is one way of being rejected, so they hold tightly to their own truths. However, Backman shows that in internalizing these parts and effectively rejecting help from others, the problems only get worse. Keeping one’s independence sacred doesn’t solve everything. Even Benji, who fears that responsibility for others sacrifices his freedom, learns that lesson when he puts his own fear of bullying aside to help the town rebuild their morale in the