Motif of Suffering
In the film, there is a motif of suffering in the lives of the characters. Arnold Friedman's family suffered because of the allegations and conviction of sexual assault against him and his son Jesse. The family continues to suffer through the scandal.
Family as a symbol of comfort and compassion
Family in the film is shown as a place where a person receives support, love and a sense of belonging. This was the case in the Friedman family before the allegations of sexual assault. After the conviction, the family split apart and this impacted the members individually.
Symbols of wealth
The area where the Friedmans were living was a middle class neighborhood. There were certain markers of wealth that the people wanted to show off. These were cars, clothes and education especially computer classes.
Arnold was a symbol of education and wisdom to his town-mates
Arnold was a revered teacher in his society. He had received many accolades and many newspaper articles were written about him. The society trusted him and looked up to him before the allegations of sexual crimes came to light and he was convicted.
The investigators as a symbol of terror
The investigators were a symbol of terror to Arnold Friedman. They terrified him because they searched his house and found child pornography magazines that incriminated him for sexual crimes. He was afraid and wary of them.
