The Boy from the Woods

United States politics is usually depicted in a linear fashion, with the left wing on one side, the right wing on the other, and moderates in the middle. Horseshoe political theory posits that political positions are not linear but instead proceed along a horseshoe shape. In other words, extremists are more similar to each other than they are to centrists and moderates (“Horseshoe Theory | Political Examples, Effects & Criticism.” Study.com, 2024). The theory was popularized by French writer Jean-Pierre Faye in his 1996 book Le Siècle des ideologies (The Century of Ideologies). Faye held that “the political left used just as much hate, fearmongering, and bullying as the political right,” while the centrists “use minimal fearmongering and other negative tactics” (“Horseshoe Theory”).

Horseshoe politics is referenced several times in The Boy From the Woods. It is Rusty Eggers’s main political strategy and is often demonstrated on Hester’s television show when she argues and verbally cuts down guests whose stances oppose her own. Saul Strauss and Gavin Chambers also demonstrate this through their actions. While they may be opposites in terms of political stance, they team up to oppose Rusty by going to extremes—kidnapping Crash, demanding incriminating video footage as ransom, and cutting off Crash’s finger as punishment.