“Black and Blue” Essay
“Black and Blue” is a book of Anna Quindlen, which touches an important topic of domestic violence against women, which worries thousands of women around the world. This theme of the book is an acute and pressing problem, it affects the souls of women who have the same problem. Why do women suffer violence at home? Why do not they leave their husbands, who allow themselves to hit a woman? Domestic violence is a huge trauma for any woman, but in many cases women can not solve it. Why is this happening and the violence is repeated again and again? What can society do to reduce the abuse? It is such questions are raised in the book.
So, the story of the book is the story of a woman Francine Benedetto, a nurse. This is the story of her life, love and sufferings of Francine, who got married Bob at age 19, and had a son. When a woman first became a victim of violent husband, he apologized and said that would not happen again. As always in such cases, she simply believed that the beloved man would change, would stop it. But, as in most cases, the violence is repeated again, and soon the woman begins to live in constant fear. This is a physical and moral degradation of a woman, who lives in fear and sufferings in her own family. This, of course, is a terrible phenomenon, and the author perfectly conveys the emotional state of the heroine. (Quindlen, 1999)
Working as a nurse, Francine consulted with a woman who led a support group for women victims of violence, where women were given advice and help, and also helped to organize an “underground railway” to escape from husbands to another city. Francine has not been able to decide on such an escape, to decide to leave her husband, because she wanted to keep the family together, and first of all because of their son. This is another typical behavior of women who are afraid and do not want to destroy the family for children. But if you evaluate the situation from the perspective of family psychology, then, of course, the child will not be happy to live in a family where there is violence, fear and sufferings.
Still, once Francine decides to escape when her husband has broken her nose, and the woman realizes the need to save herself and her son from the violence. She manages to successfully move to Florida, where she starts living under the name Beth Crenshaw. She starts working as a home nurse, her son makes friends with neighbors, and they begin to live quietly in the new community, despite the fear that the husband will find them. Their lives are gradually getting well, as Beth makes friends with the neighbors. One of her patients was a Jewish couple, the husband bedridden and speechless with emphysema. After his death Beth comes to help the widow, and in the conversation she learns about her fate: A woman was rescued by her husband, an American soldier, from the death camp at the end of the World War II. Beth suddenly learns that there are much worse problems in other families that she had. (Quindlen 1999)
Further, the heroine thinks about whether she can ever trust another man? After all, she loved her husband, but he hurt her and made her suffer, left fear deep in her. It should be pointed that in the story the character of the husband remains unsolved. Beth worries for her son, who lacks his father, worries whether he could understand her and the situation. All that difficulties make up doubts, experiences of the heroine, that the reader can understand.
In the story Anna Quindlen shows all the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the heroine very well. Sentimentality of the narrative allows to empathize the heroine, to be involved in her thoughts and feelings. This book is good because it affects the subject and the problems faced by many women who have ever been victims of violence from her husband. That is why this book is an important and interesting from the perspective of psychology of women – victims of the violence.
It is necessary to analyze the problem of domestic violence as an acute problem of the society. Under the domestic violence is understood violent behavior that includes insults, humiliation, beatings, sexual violence and many other actions against the woman. The consequences of such violence are very serious for the victim, as the woman is always in a state of chronic stress, which can lead to serious diseases and mental disorders. (Barnett et al., 2005)
Many researchers note that women exposed to violence for years have a state when she feels helpless, and controlled – this state is the psychological consequence of domestic violence against women. In conjunction with the social conditions, such as the lack of independent revenue sources, the pressure on the side of both society and family, as well as the lack of a safe place where she could hide – all this is forcing a woman to live in intolerable conditions, and tolerate violence. Unfortunately, many victims of domestic violence do not report about problems to the competent authorities, preferring to keep the situation within the walls of home. (Barnett et al., 2005)
Women experiencing violence are often excluded from social life. Another important issue is the economic dependence of women in the case of domestic violence, that prevents her to break the marriage and start new life. Not every woman with a child, and without him, is ready to take decisive action: she fears to lose her place of living, her job and sources for living, etc. Few of these women know that there are groups and organizations helping women, and other social services. But the problem in this case is not only in ignorance, but in the fear of women, their indecision in regard to life changes, and the fear to be found by the husband.
All the facts considered in the book “Black and Blue” and in the text book “Family violence across the life span” suggest that the problem of domestic violence against women is really important and acute for the women and for the whole society. It touches thousands of victims in almost all countries, and requires assistance from the society.
