Dominic is Caleb’s cousin, who, like Caleb and Maddy, has been “broken” by trauma and exists in the Upside Down. He represents a character who has been severely damaged by family secrets and abuse, leading to a profound sense of resignation and resentment.
This version of Dominic is emotionally spent and cynical, having lived with intense bottled up pain for years.
Emotional State and Personality: Dominic is characterized by resentment and emotional depletion. There is no warmth in his voice when he speaks to Caleb. He is stoic and keeps his expression unreadable. He is tired and has an attitude of resignation about his fate.
The Core Challenge (Family Abuse and Guilt): Dominic’s trauma stems from being sexually assaulted multiple times first by his Great Uncle Patrick before he died, and then by his Cousin Frank. The emotional fracture occurred when he tried to hint at the abuse to his mother, who then got cancer. Cousin Frank manipulated him into believing that his hints were “causing the cancer” by destroying the family and that talking about it would “kill her”. Dominic held it all in “for my mom’s sake”, leading to two years of straight crying after her death. He is heartbroken that bottling up the pain “didn’t save her”.
Response to His “Upsider” (Upright Self): Dominic confesses that he tunes out the upside world a lot because “it’s hard to watch myself look so pathetic”. He watches his upright version “spin his wheels and beg for attention in all the wrong ways”. He has chosen to drift “farther and farther away” from the upright world.
Acceptance of the Upside Down: He has “accepted where I am in life”. He is cynical about the world, stating he hopes the next life has justice, “because this one didn’t”. He warns Caleb that trying to get out is “not easy” and that some people who try “come back worse”.
Display of Self: Dominic carries himself with a quiet, somber confidence that comes from having faced his worst truths and accepting his broken state. He uses his experience to warn Caleb about the dangers of the Upside Down, especially Sebastian.
The counterpart in the real world is seen by the Upside Down Dominic as a failure who struggles to find healthy attention.
Implied Actions: Based on his inverted self’s observation, Upright Dominic is constantly “spin[ning] his wheels” and “beg[ging] for attention in all the wrong ways”. This behavior is likely a manifestation of the intense, suppressed need for validation and help that his true self (Upside Down Dominic) could never ask for.
