Verbal Abuse and Mother-daughter Relationship

May Grey was once married to the man she loved. May's life was perfect, filled with long hours with the man she loved. However, a war disrupted May's life, taking her husband from her. May spends the next ten years in denial, refusing to admit to herself that her husband will never return to her. Eventually May accepts this turn in her life and commits herself to another relationship. May does not love her new husband like she did the first, but she makes a life with him anyway. May gives birth to two children, Ruth and Matthew. May devotes herself to Matthew, loving him almost to the point of smothering, while ignoring poor Ruth.

Ruth grows up believing she is stupid because her mother often holds her highly intelligent brother up as an example. Ruth resents Matthew and often torments him because of...