Justice and Injustice in Things We Left Behind: Systemic Failures and the Fight for Reform

Thematic Claim: Justice as a Corrective Force Against Systemic Failure

In Things We Left Behind, Lucy Score argues that true justice is not simply the punishment of wrongdoers but the deliberate correction of broken systems. The novel challenges readers to see that institutions—courts, police, and legal aid—can perpetuate harm, and that individuals must shoulder the burden of reform even when the system itself resists.

The story traces this vision through two interconnected injustices: the corrupt arrest of Lucian Rollins as a teenager and the excessive prison sentence of Mary Louise Upshaw. Both cases reveal how power, bias, and procedural shortcuts create victims rather than deliver fairness. The fight for justice becomes a personal mission for Sloane Walton, who inherits her father Simon’s passion for legal aid, and for Lucian, whose cynical exterior masks a deep need to correct the wrongs he survived.

The Corruption of the Justice System: Two Case Studies

Lucian’s Arrest and the Role of Wylie Ogden

The novel’s most visceral example of injustice occurs twenty-two years before the main timeline. Lucian, a high school senior, intervenes to stop his father Ansel from attacking his mother with a knife. In the chaos, Sloane calls the police, and Chief Wylie Ogden arrives. Instead of arresting the perpetrator, Ogden handcuffs Lucian, shoves him to the ground, and orders the EMTs not to treat his wounds. Ogden’s words—”Let him bleed on the way to jail”—expose a law enforcement officer who acts as judge, jury, and executioner.

The arrest is based on Ansel Rollins’s false claim that Lucian attacked him unprovoked. There is no investigation, no fingerprinting, no questioning of the mother who lies bleeding. Simon Walton, Sloane’s father, tries to intervene, but Ogden refuses to listen. Lucian is saved only when Simon uses his legal influence to secure his release the next morning. This episode demonstrates how personal vendettas and institutional laziness can override the truth. Ogden is not a neutral enforcer of law; he is an ally of the wealthy, abusive father and an enemy of the vulnerable son.

Mary Louise Upshaw’s Unjust Sentence

The second major injustice involves Mary Louise Upshaw, a mother who takes the fall for her teenage son’s drug possession after a traffic stop. She pleads guilty under a deal that promised one year with time served, but the presiding Judge Atkins rejects the recommendation. Atkins declares he wants to “set an example” and hands down a twenty-year sentence. Eleven years into her term when Sloane and Lucian meet her, Mary Louise has built a creative writing program for inmates and earned two associate’s degrees—yet her public defenders are overworked and unresponsive.

The narrative here critiques three systemic failures: first, the lack of forensic evidence (the drugs were never fingerprinted, meaning her son could have been proved the owner); second, the revolving door of underfunded public defenders who cannot mount a proper appeal; third, a judge who prioritizes public relations over proportionality. Mary Louise is not a drug trafficker but a working mother trying to protect her son’s future. Her sentence is a product of judicial grandstanding, not justice.

The Cost of Protection: Sacrifice and Blame

A recurring pattern in the novel is that innocent or well-intentioned people pay the price for protecting others. Lucian’s mother stays silent to avoid further beatings. Mary Louise pleads guilty to shield her son from a felony record. Sloane herself, as a teenager, rushes to the Rollins home to save Lucian’s mother, smashes a glass door, and has her wrist broken in three places by Ansel Rollins. She later says she has never regretted her actions, but the physical and emotional scars remain.

This theme questions the ethics of sacrifice. Is it just for one person to bear another’s punishment? The novel does not condemn Mary Louise’s choice—it honors her maternal love—but it also shows how such sacrifices allow the real criminals (Ansel Rollins, the drug dealer who supplied the son) to escape accountability. Justice, in this framework, requires that the innocent not be crushed, but it also demands that the guilty be identified and confronted.

The Pathway to Reform: From Library to Legal Team

Sloane’s journey from librarian to advocate illustrates how ordinary citizens can spark systemic change. After meeting Mary Louise, Sloane enlists a high-powered pro bono attorney, Fran, who sets up an in-camera review with Judge Atkins. Fran also directs Sloane to become the public face of the campaign: “You’re a small-town librarian who believes in social justice. You’re smart, you’re pretty, and you’re nonthreatening.” This strategy uses Sloane’s credibility to humanize Mary Louise’s case.

Meanwhile, Lucian leverages his legal network, referring the team to specialists in appeals and commutations. He also funds the effort indirectly, though he hides his involvement to avoid Sloane’s pride. Their combined resources—money, reputation, legal expertise—create a counterweight to the inertia of the justice system. The Simon Walton Foundation (established in the epilogue as Lucian’s wedding gift) becomes the institutional vehicle for ongoing reform, ensuring that Mary Louise’s case is not an isolated act.

Character Connections: Champions, Cynics, and Corrupt Officials

Sloane Walton embodies principled activism. She is impulsive, emotional, and sometimes reckless—qualities that make her effective as a voice for the wrongly convicted. Her father Simon mentored Allen Upshaw and began investigating Mary Louise’s sentence before his illness. Sloane completes that work, proving that justice can be inherited through love and purpose.

Lucian Rollins begins as a cynic. In chapter 31, he tells Sloane, “There’s no such thing as justice.” But his actions contradict his words: he arranges for Mary Louise’s legal team, pressures corrupt politicians like Congressman Trip, and funds a domestic violence halfway house through shell companies. Lucian represents a form of vigilante justice—operating outside the system to correct its flaws. His story arc suggests that cynicism can be a protective shell, not a permanent belief.

The antagonists—Wylie Ogden and Judge Atkins—embody institutional corruption. Ogden uses his badge to serve personal biases; Atkins uses his gavel to make moralistic examples. Neither faces direct consequences in the novel (though Ogden’s files are later examined by Nash Morgan), implying that the system still tolerates such figures. The fight for justice is therefore ongoing.

Symbol Connections: The Fence and the Library

The fence that separates the prison from the outside world recurs throughout the visit scenes. Mary Louise lives behind bars, but Sloane and Lucian cross that boundary to bring hope. The fence also mirrors the emotional barriers Lucian has built around himself. For him, prison is not just a physical place but a memory—he was nearly sent there at seventeen.

The library serves as the headquarters for Sloane’s campaign. It is a public space dedicated to knowledge, making it a fitting launchpad for a movement based on facts, research, and the written word. The library represents the intellectual foundation of justice: the careful examination of evidence, the reading of laws, and the storytelling that humanizes the accused. Sloane’s role as librarian underscores her function as an educator and advocate, not a lawyer but a bridge between the legal system and the community.

Complexity and Contradiction

The novel does not offer a simple celebration of the justice system. Even after Mary Louise’s potential release (which occurs off-page, between chapters), the story acknowledges that such victories are rare and expensive. Lucian notes that “justice isn’t cheap,” and the pro bono team can take only a limited number of cases per year.

Moreover, Lucian’s own methods raise ethical questions. He blackmails Congressman Trip into resigning and installs a replacement who aligns with his goals. He threatens Trip with public exposure unless he changes his behavior. This is justice of a sort—removing a corrupt official—but it is coercive and secretive. Sloane, despite her idealism, also blurred the line when she lied about the events of the Rollins arrest to help Lucian. The book suggests that fighting injustice sometimes requires compromising absolute purity, but it never celebrates that compromise without revealing its emotional cost.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Lucian’s teenage arrest illustrate the failure of law enforcement to protect victims of domestic abuse?
   Answer: Chief Wylie Ogden arrests Lucian instead of Ansel Rollins, ignoring the mother’s injuries and Lucian’s defensive role. The arrest is based on Ansel’s false testimony, and Ogden refuses to listen to Simon Walton. This shows that police can become tools of the abuser when they fail to investigate thoroughly.

2. In what ways does Mary Louise Upshaw’s sentence reflect systemic problems in the criminal justice system?
   Answer: Mary Louise pleads guilty under a deal the judge rejects, leading to a twenty-year sentence for a first-time, nonviolent offense. Her public defenders are overworked and cannot mount an appeal; evidence is never fingerprinted. The judge’s decision to “set an example” prioritizes political posturing over proportionate sentencing.

3. Compare and contrast Sloane’s approach to justice with Lucian’s. Which method is more effective?
   Answer: Sloane relies on public advocacy, media, and legal procedure—she becomes the face of Mary Louise’s campaign. Lucian works behind the scenes, leveraging money, threats, and legal contacts. Both are effective: Sloane humanizes the case, Lucian provides resources. The novel suggests a combination of both approaches is necessary.

4. Why does the novel include the subplot of Lucian forcing Congressman Trip to resign? How does it relate to the main theme?
   Answer: Trip’s resignation shows Lucian’s willingness to use blackmail to remove a corrupt official. It parallels the fight against Judge Atkins and Ogden, but it also raises questions about whether ends justify means. The subplot reinforces that justice often requires actions that exist outside formal legal processes.

5. The epilogue reveals Lucian endowing the Simon Walton Foundation. What does this gift signify for the theme of justice?
   Answer: The foundation ensures that Simon Walton’s mission to provide free legal aid continues. It transforms Lucian’s personal resources into a permanent institution for reform, suggesting that lasting justice requires systemic support, not just individual heroism.