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
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Oh how this story upset me—I mean, really? Is that really how it ends? So I’m a huge fan of happy endings. Like the latest Batman movie, I hated it. Sure it was a great thriller and makes you cringe throughout the entire thing with anticipation, but there’s no feelgood at the end at all. And yes it seems like this story had a happy ending, but it really didn’t have anything to do with the story. Clarissa essentially became her mother, except she chose to be honest about who her daughter’s biological father was.
Her mom as a character pissed me off too. I don’t know I guess it could have something to do with the fact that I really do look forward to getting married and having children one day and actually being a mom. Why couldn’t she just talk to Clarissa? Why couldn’t she just say she was sorry? I mean rape is awful, there’s no argument there, but it wasn’t Clarissa’s fault she didn’t ask the man to do it. I just wanted her mom to be say something about why she left. She doesn’t give her anything of closure except for her to said “goodbye Clarissa”.
I did love the fact that Clarissa gave her mom the letter she was writing to her unborn baby. That was a really gutsy move. I liked Clarissa as a character. I really did I liked being inside her head and fallowing her, obvious she had serious problems but I liked her, we always kinda like the main character though don’t we for the most part? I’m glad she found her happy ending but hate how it was written “ I didn’t know.. I didn’t know”—and it’s all summed up in about 3 paragraphs. No ones happy ending is that short. Oh well.
I think I want to write my paper about rape victims who become pregnant. I’m taking Psychology 111 and I absolutely love it. And I would kinda like to see if I can research any other similar cases and see if there are any resemblances to the story. See if most mothers keep the baby, leave the baby, raise the baby, and just see if this book was a good story or if it has some believable factors. I can’t say, since I haven’t experienced similar things, nor had kids, that I would do things differently. I’d like to say I would. One of my biggest questions is why so late? Clarissa was fourteen when she left, she obviously had a pretty strong connection to her mother why make it more painful why not leave when she was younger? That just aggravated me.
But like I said in my paper last terms about relationships, and its what I’m learning in psychology, we’re affected so much by our past. That is why I believe Clarissa leaves P. and randomly starts who own life. I don’t like how she hides her true past from her husband. It shaped her and if her ex fiancé was as great of a man as shes going to tell her daughter why did she leave him?. I definitely think the ending has a few pot holes like the author decided she was too tired to finsish. “ She lived happilt ever after, the end”.
Her mom as a character pissed me off too. I don’t know I guess it could have something to do with the fact that I really do look forward to getting married and having children one day and actually being a mom. Why couldn’t she just talk to Clarissa? Why couldn’t she just say she was sorry? I mean rape is awful, there’s no argument there, but it wasn’t Clarissa’s fault she didn’t ask the man to do it. I just wanted her mom to be say something about why she left. She doesn’t give her anything of closure except for her to said “goodbye Clarissa”.
I did love the fact that Clarissa gave her mom the letter she was writing to her unborn baby. That was a really gutsy move. I liked Clarissa as a character. I really did I liked being inside her head and fallowing her, obvious she had serious problems but I liked her, we always kinda like the main character though don’t we for the most part? I’m glad she found her happy ending but hate how it was written “ I didn’t know.. I didn’t know”—and it’s all summed up in about 3 paragraphs. No ones happy ending is that short. Oh well.
I think I want to write my paper about rape victims who become pregnant. I’m taking Psychology 111 and I absolutely love it. And I would kinda like to see if I can research any other similar cases and see if there are any resemblances to the story. See if most mothers keep the baby, leave the baby, raise the baby, and just see if this book was a good story or if it has some believable factors. I can’t say, since I haven’t experienced similar things, nor had kids, that I would do things differently. I’d like to say I would. One of my biggest questions is why so late? Clarissa was fourteen when she left, she obviously had a pretty strong connection to her mother why make it more painful why not leave when she was younger? That just aggravated me.
But like I said in my paper last terms about relationships, and its what I’m learning in psychology, we’re affected so much by our past. That is why I believe Clarissa leaves P. and randomly starts who own life. I don’t like how she hides her true past from her husband. It shaped her and if her ex fiancé was as great of a man as shes going to tell her daughter why did she leave him?. I definitely think the ending has a few pot holes like the author decided she was too tired to finsish. “ She lived happilt ever after, the end”.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
I can’t necessarily relate to this book myself. I don’t think If I were abandoned I would want to go looking for the ones who abandoned me, especially if it wasn’t like a young mother who knew I would have a better life in the care of other, but instead because I was unwanted, or at least seeming unwanted. If I had a good relationship with a man who I believed was my birth father and he raised me as his own I would leave it at that. I can understand the curiosity but I wouldn’t ever be able to call either of them her mother or father (her birth parents) mom or dad. They did not treat her as a daughter why should she treat them as her family. The commitment thing is very relatable and understandable though. If all you’ve ever known is run when it gets complicated or connected, then when its more than just a surface relationship you’re going to run. OR in her case she didn’t allow herself to get close enough to her friends , which is why it didn’t hurt her to run, she’d taught herself to look out for her, that’s what mom did right? Also I don’t think her mom is so much a psychopath as much as a sociopath. It doesn’t seem like her mom understands what she’s doing or what she’s done, psychopaths try to hide their crimes and are ashamed, they know what is right and wrong.
A boarder for me is definitely the running from friends.. running from her fiancé I can understand, if you can’t get close you can’t get hurt, but friends are different than significant other relationships, relationships are more about compromise and not that friendships aren’t, but their more about being there. She’s just not a really good friend…but doesn’t know how to be one anyway.
A boarder for me is definitely the running from friends.. running from her fiancé I can understand, if you can’t get close you can’t get hurt, but friends are different than significant other relationships, relationships are more about compromise and not that friendships aren’t, but their more about being there. She’s just not a really good friend…but doesn’t know how to be one anyway.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
My reading History.
So, my reading habits are similar but different from my writing. I don’t hate reading, but I don’t do it on my own. I have to be required to read. Once I read something though I almost always love it. I especially enjoy sci-fi. I looooved Dracula, and Time Machine, and Fahrenheit 451, I enjoy most western novels, but I have to be in a mood for them. One thing I’ve noticed about myself and reading is that I can’t read something when I’m annoyed by a main character and their decisions, or if something is just too wordy too many times. I hate over explaining. Pride and Prejudice..favorite movie, can’t stand the book I’ve tried to read it 4 times.. can get past 50 or so. I love the Harry Potter movies. I read the first book in a week. Sadly I’ve attempted to read the second honestly 7 times. Its that Dobby character that always messes with Harry, he drives me nuts and I just close the book.
I do read my bible though. I try to everyday. Its probably the book I’m most faithful to. No one tells me to or requires me to. I do it for myself and the big man up there.
I also love reading articles on psychology, why we do what we do. I’s say I google about 3-5 articles about people behaviors a week.
When I was younger I loved reading because I knew when we read we were going to have to do a book report and I always made like 3D reports. I loved The Adventures of the Bailey School kids and in one of them they snow board out of trouble or something so I made a mountain and little characters and tied them to a string and they slid down the mountain on their snowboards. It was really cool and I was really proud because it was exactly like I pictured in the book.
I can read music. I played the clarinet for 4 years and piano for 3, so when You have to guess which tube it is by looking at the notes in the game Cranium I’m pretty good. I hate reading directions, for like cooking or making something.. drives me crazy, the font is so small and I just want to do it all at once I’ve screw up quite a few carrot cakes because of that.
But whats weird is I really enjoy reading cosmetic bottles. I’ve read all of my shampoos and face washes.. Their descriptions just make them sounds so great, its fun. Herbal essences even puts riddles on the backs of their bottles.. but you have to buy the matching condition for the shampoo to find the answer.. other wise you’d have no clue that more than 50% of women admit to throwing a show at their significant other. I’m guilty.
So, my reading habits are similar but different from my writing. I don’t hate reading, but I don’t do it on my own. I have to be required to read. Once I read something though I almost always love it. I especially enjoy sci-fi. I looooved Dracula, and Time Machine, and Fahrenheit 451, I enjoy most western novels, but I have to be in a mood for them. One thing I’ve noticed about myself and reading is that I can’t read something when I’m annoyed by a main character and their decisions, or if something is just too wordy too many times. I hate over explaining. Pride and Prejudice..favorite movie, can’t stand the book I’ve tried to read it 4 times.. can get past 50 or so. I love the Harry Potter movies. I read the first book in a week. Sadly I’ve attempted to read the second honestly 7 times. Its that Dobby character that always messes with Harry, he drives me nuts and I just close the book.
I do read my bible though. I try to everyday. Its probably the book I’m most faithful to. No one tells me to or requires me to. I do it for myself and the big man up there.
I also love reading articles on psychology, why we do what we do. I’s say I google about 3-5 articles about people behaviors a week.
When I was younger I loved reading because I knew when we read we were going to have to do a book report and I always made like 3D reports. I loved The Adventures of the Bailey School kids and in one of them they snow board out of trouble or something so I made a mountain and little characters and tied them to a string and they slid down the mountain on their snowboards. It was really cool and I was really proud because it was exactly like I pictured in the book.
I can read music. I played the clarinet for 4 years and piano for 3, so when You have to guess which tube it is by looking at the notes in the game Cranium I’m pretty good. I hate reading directions, for like cooking or making something.. drives me crazy, the font is so small and I just want to do it all at once I’ve screw up quite a few carrot cakes because of that.
But whats weird is I really enjoy reading cosmetic bottles. I’ve read all of my shampoos and face washes.. Their descriptions just make them sounds so great, its fun. Herbal essences even puts riddles on the backs of their bottles.. but you have to buy the matching condition for the shampoo to find the answer.. other wise you’d have no clue that more than 50% of women admit to throwing a show at their significant other. I’m guilty.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
I’m going to make a symbolic collage about relationships. I know the probably sounds really “high school”, but I’m not just talking about couple relationships. And it seems like that is what my friends and I talk the most about. How were affected by family, friends, and boyfriends/ girlfriends (whether they have one or not).
A lot of it comes down to trust. Friends have had bad relationships with their fathers and it in turn leads to them not trusting any guy, and not being able to have a real relationship with a guy.
Other friends have been hurt so badly by their “ex’s” they’re too afraid to let anyone in again. Or if they do let someone in, they freeze or shut down as soon as they get to a point to where they feel vulnerable or care what they believe is “too much” because they are afraid they’ll be hurt.
Everyone is constantly being affected by relationships, and I think they are interesting, and therefore will make a good topic for my paper
I don’t think with my paper I’ll really need a collage but I enjoy doing artsy things.. so that will be my relief when I’m sick of writing.
I don’t know if this is a great proposal but I think it’ll work.. it’s the actual project that’s important anyway. right?
A lot of it comes down to trust. Friends have had bad relationships with their fathers and it in turn leads to them not trusting any guy, and not being able to have a real relationship with a guy.
Other friends have been hurt so badly by their “ex’s” they’re too afraid to let anyone in again. Or if they do let someone in, they freeze or shut down as soon as they get to a point to where they feel vulnerable or care what they believe is “too much” because they are afraid they’ll be hurt.
Everyone is constantly being affected by relationships, and I think they are interesting, and therefore will make a good topic for my paper
I don’t think with my paper I’ll really need a collage but I enjoy doing artsy things.. so that will be my relief when I’m sick of writing.
I don’t know if this is a great proposal but I think it’ll work.. it’s the actual project that’s important anyway. right?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
In Just walk on by racism and idenity seems to be a big issue. Racism is something I didn't even understnad until I was probably in the thrid grade when we leanred about the underground railroad and slavery. I was raised to believe all men (and women) were created equal and my parents never did or said anything to make me believe them to be lieing. I remember feeling really quilty though that my certain black friends family had probably gone thru much more pain than mine. If we bring the issue here to Miami today.. I do think this school is not diverse. Whether that is because of the students attracted to go here or because if the schools addmitting of students I am not sure, but I do know that Miami seems to be culture wise very limited. Which also makes me sad.
Our world is full of judgement and pre-conceived views though. The writer in Just walk on by experiecnes this in the beginning when the woman runs from him. He had done nothing wrong or given her the feeling that he would hurt her and yet because of the color of his skin she felt like he could harm her, and he in turn felt judged. I think we can all sympathise with this feeling, maybe not to the extent but I know we have all had moments where someone has judged or been awkward or something of the sort simply because they didn't know you and believed you to be different from your true self. My very best friend and my boyfriend both if they would have listened to preconceived views of me would have lost me in relationships. Apparently my sarcasm tends to make people believe I feel superior than others. HA!... They both know me and my heart now though and know I'm not like that, I'm glad they did give me a chance too. I enjoy them in my life. :). I believe judging and preconcieved views are always going to be a factor in life, someone is always going to remind you of another person you've already met. its whether or not you choose to let that view control you and your actions towards that person that really matter.
The End.
Our world is full of judgement and pre-conceived views though. The writer in Just walk on by experiecnes this in the beginning when the woman runs from him. He had done nothing wrong or given her the feeling that he would hurt her and yet because of the color of his skin she felt like he could harm her, and he in turn felt judged. I think we can all sympathise with this feeling, maybe not to the extent but I know we have all had moments where someone has judged or been awkward or something of the sort simply because they didn't know you and believed you to be different from your true self. My very best friend and my boyfriend both if they would have listened to preconceived views of me would have lost me in relationships. Apparently my sarcasm tends to make people believe I feel superior than others. HA!... They both know me and my heart now though and know I'm not like that, I'm glad they did give me a chance too. I enjoy them in my life. :). I believe judging and preconcieved views are always going to be a factor in life, someone is always going to remind you of another person you've already met. its whether or not you choose to let that view control you and your actions towards that person that really matter.
The End.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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