Whenever we think of a family, we often think about the people who love us and care for us. Whether it be our friends, our parents, our siblings, or even strangers, there’s something to be said about coming home to these people that makes our lives worthwhile. It can be a wonderful feeling, and often provides the reassurance we need to get through the day. In fact, it’s because of these feelings that writers have even written about them in their stories. In Loving Lakyn by Charlotte Reagan, the protagonist relied on his family and friends to help him with his depression. In A Light in the Darkness by Patricia Bell, a young girl’s family stopped at nothing to make sure she was safe, no matter what the cost. However, there are times when writers will destroy this dynamic entirely, when they’ll stir up conflict that could very well destroy the fabric of human decency.

So what is it about twisting the traditional family that makes it such intriguing writing? What sort of drama can be introduced when we see the family being degraded into nothing? And why should writers think about disrupting such a wonderful dynamic?

Disturbing morality - Oftentimes, families are represented as moral influences that help prepare an individual to give back to the society they grew up in. However, whenever a family is broken in literature, there’s a good chance that they may have had to fend for themselves within a sea of sins. Take, for example, The Boss’s Daughter by Jennifer Bates. The protagonist is a woman whose family is seeped in gangs and murder, and as such, she had to grow up quickly in order to survive, despite her being under the care of these gangs. In historical fiction, many queens, kings, and servants have fought for their right to rule, even if it meant soaking their hands in their other family member’s blood. The families are almost never described as heroic, and oftentimes, are willing to give themselves over to their demons just to get what they want.

Dark lusts - In a disturbed family, especially in literature, there are also a lot of unwanted sexual advances. In Jessie’s Song by Jeremy Williamson, a girl had to run away with her little sister to escape the abuse her father inflicted upon her. The reason for this is because it adds a level of tension to the situation. We hope and pray that our beloved characters will make it out without being scarred, even though we know they’ll be tainted in the end. We pray that somehow they’ll make it out of that situation, though the hopelessness continues to crowd around us.

Unjustified deaths - Whenever said dysfunctional family has an unhealthy obsession with one another, they’ll do anything to keep the other safe, even if means killing. The infamous Winchester brothers from Supernatural have been known to throw every character under the bus if it meant saving the other. In Feast by Thomas S. Flowers, a father’s unwillingness to acknowledge his son’s identity led to the deaths of many people, out of guilt that he couldn’t be there to protect his son from the assailants. It’s because of this obsession to keep their loved ones safe that they end up murdering more and more people whom they believe to be assaulting their loved ones.

These dysfunctional families have broken every single principle that makes up the traditional family. Whether through a lack of love, morality, or both, these families have destroyed and built up each other in order to suit their needs. It’s because of this that writers have continued to use this technique, bringing a beautiful tragedy into a situation where only parasitic drama exists.