Sabrina’s Struggle The Struggle of Sabrina and Eleanor

C. The Struggle of Sabrina and Eleanor

In this section, the writer tries to explain and show how the women struggle against the domestic violence. The writer also shows how they face the man that oppresses and does the domestic violence to them. They are the women who oppressed and experience the violence.

1. Sabrina’s Struggle

In the middle of the chaotic, she struggles to hold out the problem that occurs in the family. The woman tries to receive what the man does to her. Besides, she also keeps the man in order to make him get calm and not angrier. Sabrina is the woman who often gets the violence from Richie. From the previous section, she experiences domestic violence that hurts her. a. Being Smart A woman should be able to bear the pain even though she is always abused and blamed by the man. She becomes the independent person even though the husband is in her side. A husband who is in her side is not always able to give happiness for the wife. In this family case, the man cannot give support to make the woman happier. From the previous section, he rather gives something bad to the woman. He treats the woman harshly. The woman is injured. Therefore, as a woman who is injured by the man, she should be able to stand on her own foot. She should be able to survive in the middle of chaotic family. Sabrina is a woman who can hold the pain when she is abused by Richie. From the previous section, she always does not do something to defense herself. She receives it as it is. When she is blamed because she cooks the dinner that is not like what Richie wants, she only tells a lie and makes Richie to not angrier. She does not give justification. As a woman who does not work, Sabrina can handle the money in an unpredictable situation. She is a kind of genius to find the money. It happens when she washes Richie ’s pants. “I found money when I was doing laundry.’ Her mom said. Which meant that Richie had accidently left money in his pants. ” p. 141. From the quotation, it shows that she can look for some money when Richie is neglectful. She knows how to spend it so that she can hide it. “Whenever her mom found money, she tried to spend it on things Richie would never notice. Clothes for Eleanor. New underwear for Ben. Cans of tuna fish and bags of flour. Things that could be hidden in drawers and cupboards. ”p. 141. She is also smart in spending the money. The money that is not realized by Richie is spent to something that is more precious to her kids. She knows that Richie ’s negligence makes her get the benefit that can make her children happy. Besides, she also can think whether it can be discovered or not. It happens because she recognizes Richie. It proves that Sabrina can observe the thing that Richie realizes and the thing Richie does not realize. She also can get the benefit when she is oppressed. “Her mom had become some sort of genius double agent since she hooked with Richie. It was like she was keeping them all alive behind his back. ” Sabrina can be sly. She does it in order to survive in the weak economic situation. She also does that to make her children happy because she can spend that on the thing that her children need. In this case, shows that the woman can do something cunning. b. Being Creative In the difficult situation, she can be creative. She uses the vanilla as a perfume instead of buying the real perfume that can be expensive. She gives that to Eleanor. Eleanor get dressed quickly and tried to squeeze past her mother. Her mom grabbed her by the wrist. ‘I like to hear you sing,’ she said. She reached for a bottle on the counter behind Eleanor and rubbed a drop of vanilla behind each of the girl ’s ears p. 47. It shows that she can use the vanilla as perfume. When Eleanor protests, “Why do you always do that? I smell like a Strawberry Shortcake doll. ” Then Sabrina tells the reason, “I do it,’ her mom said, ‘because it’s cheaper than perfume, but it smells just as good. ” Then she rubbed some vanilla behind her own ears and laughed p. 47 It shows that she can use the thing for something that is not expected. It means that she can find a way to smells good by using vanilla rather than buying expensive perfume. The creativity also shows that when in the limited money she still can be fragrant. c. Encouraging Her Children She is also a caring person. It means that she takes care of her children. She always gives understanding to Eleanor when Eleanor gets disappointed. She also encourages Eleanor. “We are family, Eleanor. All of us. Richie, too. And I’m sorry that makes you so unhappy. I ’m sorry that things aren’t perfect here all the time for you . . . But this is our life now. You can ’t keep throwing tantrums about it, you can ’t keep trying to undermine this family – I won’t let you.’ p. 193. The quotation shows that she tries to She tries to explain why Eleanor should be able to understand the reason her mother does that. Sabrina said, “I have to think everyone,’ her mom said. ‘Do you understand? I have to think of myself. In a few years, you ’ll be on your own, but Richie is my husband. ’p. 193. It proves that what she does is not an easy job. She has to obey her husband. As a woman, she knows that it is a complicated matter to live with a man. So, she gives Eleanor an understanding why it can be like that. She encourages her daughter. d. Taking a Brave Action However, in the end of the story, she leaves the home with her children after Eleanor running away from the family. It can be seen when Park ’s brother as her neighbor tells the news when Eleanor brother does not come to school. Josh said that Eleanor ’s little brother has stopped coming to school. ‘Everybody says they’re gone. The whole family.’ That great news, ’ their mother said. ‘Maybe that pretty mom wake up to bad situation, you know? Good for Eleanor. ”p. 317 The quotation shows that Sabrina and the children do no stay at Richie ’s home anymore. After the incident when Eleanor runs away from that house, they seem to not appear around the house. It can be concluded that Sabrina wants to save her life because she chooses to be with Eleanor rather that with Richie. Therefore, Sabrina ’s struggle against the violence is when she bears the pain. She is very patient to do her job as a housewife. Besides, she is also a kind of genius when Richie is negligent about the money. Sabrina spends that for something that is useful for her children. Then, in the end of the story she leaves the house because she chooses her daughter rather than her husband. She saves the children.

2. Eleanor’s Struggle