The Winners presents characters who have undergone personal traumas, and it explores how traumatic events—even when they seem far in the past—can create present distress that unfolds in often unpredictable ways to impact an entire community. Beartown and Hed are densely populated with young people and teenagers, and much of the Beartown trilogy has focused on their growth, development, and interactions. Significantly, both Ruth and Maya were raped as young women; the sexual assaults caused both to move away from their hometowns, just like Benji did after he was bullied for being gay. The novel’s culmination—Matteo’s vengeance for the death of Ruth—flows from the crime committed against her.

However, the novel also shows that different characters respond to similar situation—similar traumas and similar shames—in opposing ways. The novel’s very structure, detailing the interactions between a large cast of characters, creates a framework for comparing the different responses between characters and exploring the elements that contribute to individual identities. Leo and Matteo are both young boys when their sisters are sexually assaulted, and both young men turn to violence as they struggle to cope with their emotions. However, Leo’s parents discover his behavior and intercede, protecting him from his own impulses.