The Geranium

Date 15/02/10 Title The Geranium Text type Short theme Author Patricia grace This short story, The Geranium, by Patricia decorate and published 1993, is a perfect framework of Battered woman syndrome and the mental effects it has on a individual in this case Marney. In the geranium, the main character, Marney is a stay at home mother. She cleans intensely all solar day and seems rather dull. She does not ensue the house even when one of the girls tells her to come for a stretch. You know she is hesitant and you foundation feel that there is something stopping her from leaving.There seems to be a routine of non-stop cleaning, because when her friends, Sandra and Joe, come over this doesnt stop her from making certain(predicate) things atomic number 18 clean, she even sets down paper to stop the floor compactting soggy again. Her demeanor is so boring that the highlight of her week is the arrival of the paper that came on a Wednesday. The paper is a widow to the outsi de valet that she is no longstanding able to access. Although the paper shows her all kinds of things she could do and clubs she could enter, she cant because of a mental block built up by the continuous contumely from move.The infringe becomes more clear with the return of trail her husband. When Bob comes home he immediately starts demands what she has been doing all day. He asks questions close whether shes been digging and cleaning and whos been over. He is so commanding that he has to know ever little detail to make sure he does not find out different. When he finds out close The Geranium he tells her to chuck that thing out. This is a clear demonstration of his visualize, because Marney throws it extraneous without question even though ahead we see that she really cute it.These demonstrations of Bobs dominance show us the reason for Marneys resistance to leave for the shops earlier and why she finds the housework so important. The conflict is resolved when Marne y throws out the Geranium at Bobs command. This part of the story is significant because it is Marneys chance to stand up for something she wants. We see earlier in the story that the Geranium is something that she has wanted it is something to bring some colour into her dull, boring, hoary conduct. A bit of change to brighten her days.But she is damaged from her abuse, and shows she has no freewill. Immediately faltering under Bobs orders she put it into a folderol bucket as if it was of little matter to her. The sink emptying is her life being drained away. She watches as her life is taken away from here, because she was unable to speak up. She has let her chance slip away and has been doomed to the said(prenominal) dull days. I think the ideas that Patricia Grace is trying to get crossways is that domestic violence isnt all physical, that it can happen rattling much female genital organ the scenes and the ways in which it can affect people.Although we get hints that Marne y is physically abused such as when Grace mentions that Marney would put on her cardigan to hide her arm, and when Bob grips her arm until it hurts, we never actually get either evidence of serious physical abuse. When the Sandra and Joe come over they dress Bob up as an amazing guy compared to their drunkard partners. Bob of all time has the groceries, and doesnt come home drunk all the time. But behind the scenes he is very different from the picture the girls have made. He is jeopardize towards Marney and extremely controlling.He has scared into such an intense routine that she is no longer able to change that routine and is stuck to doing whatever he wants her to. This shows us that domestic violence can occur without the knowledge of the people that surrounding. Grace has showed us the way abuse can affect someone finished the way Marney is. She has been so controlled by Bob that she can no longer even think for herself. She has Battered Woman Syndrome and is completely unde r his control that she can not even reach out for help. These effects of her abuse show us how badly the aftermath of abuse affect someone just as bad as the abuse itself.The thing that I didnt enjoy about this story is the style of writing. It is written in a boring way to emphasis the way Marneys life is, and although it serves the purpose it left me feeling uninterested. What I did like the storyline. The way in which the conflict developed. I liked the way it starts off with what seems like Marney pass about a normal day and then it turns into a day that that brings forth all her abuse and problems. Mainly starting with the arrival of her friends. These developments come about us a great insight into a day in the life of Marney. And it is not a pretty picture.