another thing i'll always love abt kotlc is the way that there isnt a redemption arc for the abusers. i feel like there's too many pieces of media where the abuser is forgiven because you find out that they had good intentions or that they actually loved their victim-- but in kotlc, those aren't excuses.
you find out that linh and tam's mother misses them and regrets what she did, to the point where she becomes more forgiving and lenient; painting awkward portraits of her children because she's beginning to forget what they look like. but despite the pity, none of it is framed in a way that tries to excuse her and her husband's actions. tam and linh will always be the ones who decide whether or not to forgive them, but the narrative doesn't push the idea that they should.
it's revealed that cassius does love his son deeply, and every time he laughs and joke, a tiny part of him is happy when he sees his son smile. but instead of formulating sophie to feel bad for him, she's furious at the idea that him loving keefe will ever make up for the years of neglect his son had to go through.
it's told time and time again that gisela believes that what she's doing will be good for the world-- and therefore good for keefe. but the story doesn't even entertain the notion of understanding gisela for what she did to her child because nothing would ever justify the lies and manipulation.
i wouldnt say mr forkle is an abuser-- but i will always love how sophie never forgives him or trusts him fully. it's not even considered. yes, he did all those things for a good reason; messing with sophie's memories, making her feel alienated, giving her limbium-- but shannon never writes kotlc in a way that makes sophie feel like she should forgive forkle