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1. Clare’s Childhood Abuses
This part consists of two parts. First is Physical Abuse. It describes the physical abuse that Clare experiences in her childhood. It provides some examples
of physical abuse found in the novel. Second is Emotional Abuse. It also provides the examples of it.
a. Physical Abuse
Pritchard proposes physical abuse as severe bruising and fractures caused by blows, head injuries, shaking, eye damage, suffocation, poisoning, marks by
sticks, whips and cords, marks of burning, biting and scalding 12. It is also described as any nonaccidental physical injury to the child, and also includes acts
or circumstances that threaten the child with harm or create a substantial risk of harm to the childs health or welfare Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Clare is often physically abused by her mother. Since she is five, she sleeps in a bed with just a bare mattress-no sheet, just a plastic cover- because her
mother said that Clare will wet the bed so she does not need any sheets 13. One day, when the mother knows Clare wets the bed, she slaps Clare and punches her
on the right shoulder 50. Clare states, “My mother pushed me back into the corner by punching me in the shoulder, and as I raised my hand to fend off the
blow she grabbed my Minnie and squeezed tightly” 50. The mother, Carmen, still asks Clare when she will stop her bed wetting.
While asking, she abuses Clare physically. Clare says, Still holding on to my minnie, my mother tugged me towards her. I went
readily and tried not to make a sudden because it hurts so much. I tiptoed PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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towards her because she had grasped my minnie…she pulled me towards her and the bed…suddenly, she dug her nails into my minnie…she let go
abruptly and grabbed hold of my right breast 51.
The abuse happens when Clare wets the bed. On the Boxing Day, Clare wets the bed again. After opening her eyes, Clare is shocked when her mother suddenly in
front of her. She says, “The nightdress was slipped over my head and she slapped on me my bare bottom with the shoe” 61.
Clare is accustomed to work hard at home. She cleans the house, washes clothes, dishes, and prepares meal. One day when she cooks in the kitchen,
Carmen comes to her and complains because the chicken’s feather is not clear yet. Clare says,
‘The chicken’ she said. ‘Now do you think that you will forget to pull all the hairs out again?’
‘No,’ I said. My mother pressed the knife harder into my wrist and drew blood. ‘And
why will you remember?’ she said…. She pulled the knife across my arm. Beads of blood rose up from the track
of the knife and a straight line of flesh opened up 73.
Clare needs to clean everything because of the blood. Even though she is hurt, Carmen does not care. Clare must do her job at home well in every situation if she
feels fine or not. Clare plans to tell about her being abused to the teacher. When Carmen
hears that Clare wants to tell the teacher on Monday, she becomes mad. Carmen pulls Clare toward her and moves her hand down towards Clare’s nipple as she
scoops Clare’s left breast in her hand 186. Clare says, My mother moved her hand to my left nipple and squeezed it between her
fingers…She dug her nails into my nipple and pulled me towards her…As she slapped onto my hand, it began to string…She let go of my nipple,
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doubled her fist and then she punched me in the left breast…My left breast felt like it had been stung by a bee 187.
What Carmen does to Clare can change Clare’s mind. She does not tell the teachers about what she gets at home. Clare is afraid to tell the teacher in case her
mother will abuse her again. Clare is also abused by her step father, Eastman. Clare is brave enough to
tell the Court that Eastman abuses her. In an argument with Eastman, Carmen gets angry and asks Eastman to leave her. Carmen lungs at Clare and grabs her hair
251. Carmen thinks that Clare is too brave to tell the Court that she is abused by Eastman. Clare says,
…she brought my head down level with her knee and then she punched me on the back of my head just above the nape of my neck. I fell forwards
with the knife still in my hand. Once I had steadied myself, she kneed me virtually in the face 252.
That physical abuse makes Clare so hurt. All members of the family are afraid that Clare will die because her condition is really bad, but Clare can stay alive.
At the age of thirteen, Clare looks after herself. She stays alone at home and needs to pay rent for her mother. When she refuses to pay the rent, Carmen
punches her in the stomach for many times 365. Clare states, “We had a war of words, me and my mother. In the end, she punched me in the forehead and said I
was bastard and that would be back the following day” 369. Two weeks later, Carmen comes to the house and wants to get money from Clare. Since Clare has
no money yet, she punches Clare in the back of the head 380. Clare has to stay with such situation until she goes to the University.
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b. Emotional Abuse
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