Product of Rape
Clarissa was the “product” of rape. Rape in every way is tragic. In some cases of rape the woman can become pregnant; now the woman is left with an extremely difficult decision. Whatever decisions the woman makes her emotions and memories will always be with her.
According to Crime in the United States 2006 there were 92,455 rapes in America, at least that is the number of reported rapes. The SA Department of Health reports that 5% of rapes result in pregnancy; that means that 4,623 of the women raped became pregnant. What did they do?
I believe Clarissa’s mother wanted to do the right thing. I believe her past haunted her everywhere she went. She had to leave Ero because she would always be his victim wife. No one wants to be portrayed as weak or as a victim. So she left. I believe she wanted to raise Clarissa, Clarissa would love her unconditionally they would have each other. However, every time she looked Clarissa she probably saw the man who raped her, her own daughter brought back those horrible painful memories. Have you ever gotten away from a problem, but it still haunts you? Her mother probably felt this way; she very well possibly felt that she had this unknown story, that no one spoke of but secretly they knew, and that they judged her as the victim. So she had to run again, and had to be secluded which explains why she worked far away from the rest of the world.
This book should have a sequel, Clarissa’s Mother’s side. I wonder if she thought of abortion but couldn’t do it and knew it wouldn’t erase the memories or burden of rape. There are approximately 42,000,000 abortions a year (worldwide); of those abortions 1% is result from rape meaning 420,000 women were raped and aborted their unborn child (abortion). Aborting the child may take away the child, the physical effects of the rape, but it cannot take away the psychological affects.
According to (secasa) many women after having a child that was a product of rape the emotional and psychological impact of rape creates Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and symptoms are often exacerbated when the victim/survivor gives birth. Pregnancy following rape is more likely to lead to inner conflicts for women about deciding whether to keep the child or not. Long term effects may include depression, as many women may blame themselves, and experience feelings of shame and guilt that can then project onto their growing child.
Although we all hated Clarissa’s mother for being so cold and seeming inhumane emotionally detached towards Clarissa, maybe she was protecting her? She could have known she couldn’t have ever looked at Clarissa without seeing the man that raped her and knew that wouldn’t be good for her daughter either. As a mother she knew Clarissa would grow attached to her. Clarissa was 14 when her mother left. Fourteen was about the age when I became closer to my mother emotionally, more as a friend, less of a provider I began to learn more about life from my mother at this age. Knowing this connection would begin to happen with Clarissa her mother could have left to protect them both from further pain.
Rape causes pain, emotional chaos, and scarring memories. How can we really decide what is best to do afterwards without experiencing it ourselves? She is a very dislikeable character, but she could also be very misunderstood, and its just impossible to understand her reasoning given her position in pregnancy as a product of rape.


http://www.health.sa.gov.au/PREGNANCY/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=54
http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html
http://www.secasa.com.au/index.php/survivors/4/151