The Cabin at the End of the World

Content Warning: This section of the guide references antigay violence and death by suicide.

Seven-year-old Wen is Eric and Andrew’s adopted daughter. The narrative begins from her perspective, emphasizing her independence and adventurous spirit as she plays unsupervised outside the cabin. Intelligent and sensitive, she’s aware that many adults are inauthentic in their interactions. Therefore, her instinctive trust in Leonard influences the initial presentation of his character, creating a false sense of security.

Wen is self-conscious of her facial scar, viewing it as a “defect.” The faint mark reminds her of the trauma she experienced as a baby, undergoing surgeries for a cleft palate. For Wen, the scar also represents how she feels different from others. Adopted by her American parents from a Chinese orphanage, she’s suspended between two identities. While Americans perceive her as Chinese, she feels alienated from Chinese culture even though her parents encourage her to embrace it. Additionally, Wen is aware of the prejudice that colors perceptions of her family from antigay comments made by schoolmates and her teachers’ over-enthusiastic insistence that having parents of the same sex is “great.”

Wen’s narrative arc traces the loss of innocence that begins when the intruders arrive at the cabin.