CAUTION: SPOILERS
This series of blog posts was developed for the Fine Literature Book Club on Facebook. Crossing the Line was their April 2022 group read, and I was honored to lead the discussion.
Page 31
Chapter Three is massive, and I'm not sure why. I set the sections; the publisher made the chapters.
Let’s break this thing into pieces.
In this chapter, it is confirmed for the reader that their suppositions are correct: Megan is being abused by her husband, Todd. We see some of the thought processes that abused individuals use:
--justification of the abuse:
‘If I don’t make him angry, he won’t hit me.’
--a focus on changing the self rather than addressing the abuse directly:
‘I can only change myself, right? I can do better. I can fix this.’
–and the constant hope that the abuse will not be repeated:
‘Todd had almost hit her again. But he hadn’t, and that gave her hope. Maybe he never would again.’
It can be very difficult for an abused individual to recognize abuse.
Here’s a list of warning signs of abuse:
In the chapter, we also see some of the techniques used by abused individuals to hide abuse, such as wearing concealing clothes and avoiding/deflecting questions.
If you are being abused, you can find help at:
They offer information and chat services. Do understand that internet usage can be monitored and erasing all evidence of your search can be difficult (cookies, history, search parameters, etc.). If you are concerned about visiting that website or searching for help, you can call 1-800-799-SAFE / 1-800-799-7233 (TTY 1-800-787-3224).
How can you support those who are in or have left abusive relationships?
What were you curious about in this chapter?