Two Wolves

Secrets are a motif in Two Wolves as nearly every character keeps some form of secret. The biggest secret, central to the book’s plot, is Ray’s theft, which the parents conceal from their children. As Ben discovers more about his parents and their activities, he shares this information with Olive, but the two keep their knowledge secret from their parents. These forms of secret-sharing create recognizable units within the Silver family. Due to issues regarding trust, Ben and Olive form one unit while the parents form another, often in opposition to each other. However, by the end of the novel, new units are formed, primarily the unit of Ben, his mother, and Olive versus Ray. Secret-sharing also drives this bond, as Ben hides the money and the family agrees to keep its location secret from Ray.

Secrets bind characters together, but they also tear them apart. While the secret of the theft binds the two parents together, it also separates them from their kids, who are suspicious of them. This secret also causes the parents to mistreat their children out of a misplaced sense of protection, from roughly cutting Ben’s hair to locking them in the cabin without food. In addition, Ben’s secret regarding the location of the money drives the final confrontation at the end of the novel; the existence of the secret angers Ben’s father enough that he attacks his own son.