The Effects of Abuse

The storyline revolves around the effects of abuse, most notably the situation of Rogerson abusing Caitlin. However, the story begins with Rogerson's own abuse at the hand of his father and the fact that Caitlin knows about this abuse. When Caitlin sees that abuse first-hand, she is drawn to Rogerson and he—having probably been very careful to keep the abuse a secret from any of his friends—is closer than ever to Caitlin because she is the only person who knows this secret. When Rogerson then hits Caitlin for the first time, she excuses him because she knows that he has been hit by his father. As Rogerson's abuse of Caitlin becomes routine, she comes to believe that he takes it out on her each time his father strikes out at Rogerson. This provides a way for her to excuse the behavior...