So This Is War

The novel uses Levi Posey’s, Wylie Wood’s, and Coach Wood’s entanglements to explore how relationship power dynamics complicate the individual’s sense of autonomy, stability, and trust. The three characters are embroiled in a battle for control throughout the novel. Levi wants to be with Wylie, but Wood has forced him to hire her as his assistant and make her life miserable. Wylie wants to be with Levi, but she must work for him to prove herself to her dad. Therefore, Wood has incited an imbalanced power dynamic that threatens the characters’ ability to pursue healthy, equanimous relationships.

Throughout the novel, the characters attempt to beat one another at their games to claim autonomy over their lives and exercise their agency. Wylie becomes particularly invested in teasing and toying with Levi because she wants “to prove a point to two men” (195): She’s determined to get revenge on Levi for going along with her dad’s setup and to punish her dad for setting her up to fail. Her attempts to outwit Levi are thus a manifestation of her desire for autonomy. The imbalanced power dynamic between her and Levi is the result of her fraught relationship with her father.