People react in different ways to a traumatic event. Many will get over it without help, others need counselling, a few will commit suicide and a very few will commit a crime. The event –trigger- was the same for all of them, but they are different not just because of their life, environment, etc. but also because their brains are different.
I agree. But this seems to contrast with your statement of:
“but she was the reason for his actions and for choosing that particular type of actions.”
Yes, there was an…odd family situation –the trigger, if you will,- but clearly just from your above options Kevin could have 1) dealt with it 2) taken counseling or 3) off’ed himself.
I’d say “premeditates well-thought-out plan to assassinate several well-liked school mates” is not exactly number 4 on the list.
Blaming shitty parentage on such an act, an act by a pretty grown-up boy, isn’t too far removed from the absurdity of “Marylyn Manson’s music them him do it”. [a real life accusation made by the unclever for one of the real incidents]
Most especially in this day and age where the term Dysfunctional Family is a redundancy.
She tried continuously to justify herself but it’s not hard to see through her lies. She hated the kid before he was even born and then used every argument to try to justify that hate.
I think “hate” may be a strong word there and I don’t agree that she outright LIED. She told the story from her point of view. And as we know at the end, she gains nothing from ‘lying’ when the letters are just to herself.
Sadly, this situation probably happens from time to time. Women not necessarily wanting to have children and/or having children thinking it will solidify a decaying relationship.
I truly cringe at the thought of a woman becoming unhinged and weak just for a man. It makes me physically ill. –And this must be one of Shriver’s “fears”, as it’s a theme in a few of her books.-
I totally agree with Eva about the female’s absurd adoption of the male name (I really need to take a copy of the book to work to quote accurately, but I love the line –something like-, “You want me to get varicose veins for a [Franklin’s last name]!”
Among other things.
She starts saying that she rejected him because he had rejected her, which is absurd. Not all babies take to the nipple straight away.
While I obviously can not imagine what this is like, I can assume that this could be seen as some psychological blow to the mother also.
“Post-partum depression” may have seed in many areas. (let’s not get Tom Cruise involved in this…)
Before they learn, they are not different from animals, they act by instinct.
Instinct is usually, ‘when I am hungry I will drink from this thing here that seems to give out nutritional fluid’ independent of the source.
And they can tell if someone likes them or not, just the same as a dog can smell someone’s fear. Nothing Freudian there, just biology and chemistry.
I think evolution has dimmed
homo sapiens skills in such areas, gawd knows I have no love for children but they never sense it from me. And a crying infant (more than likely) has very little distinguishing characteristics from ‘someone that will pick me up and change me’.
(I am talking very basics here, I am not saying Baby doesn’t know mommy from daddy, etc).
As for the Freud thing, I was directing that at you per se, just bringing it up while a potential psychology spectrum is being discussed.
so at the beginning Kev behaved in a different way with Frank. It wasn’t an act: smiling (responding) to someone who care about him; crying with someone who didn’t.
I see it differently.
(but of course am NOT saying, “you are wrong”- just my interpretation – again, that’s why I think this is a *great* book for discussion; I can’t really see many just “I loved/hated it” reviews).
So why didn’t KK make poopy in the toilet for daddy if it wasn’t an act.
All the better reason to point out ‘I know you (mumsie) don’t like me, so I’ll make good for daddy’.
If you don’t care about a child, the child will notice and will do anything to attract your attention. If you only pay attention, when he throws a tantrum, there will be lots of tantrums every day.
While true, I think this could also fall into the first things I/we mention in this (specific) post. There _could_ be a number of different reactions.
I can go on explaining Kevin’s actions, but I think this post is long enough already.
Let it flow. We aint charged by the font.
But that’s probably all for the day.
Have a good w/e.
j
