By definition, gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person continuously doubts a targeted individual or group and makes them question their own memory, perception, or judgment. Gaslighting is intended to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim's beliefs. Victims of gaslighting can be pushed so far that they question their own sanity.
Although violent scenes of physical and emotional abuse are depicted throughout the novel, it isn't until the memoir's conclusion that the reader becomes aware of Gene and Faye's reaction to Shawn's behavior. After Tara confides in her parents, Gene and Faye commit a number of actions that fall under the umbrella of gaslighting. For example, they align other family members against Tara, they tell her that she has been "overtaken by the devil," and they deny her first-hand accounts. As a result, Tara develops debilitating anxiety attacks and depression.
Educated was published in 2018, nearly five years after Tara became estranged from her family. However, Tara's narration is riddled with the language of self-doubt and confusion. In this way, the theme of memory is closely tied to Tara's experiences as a victim of gaslighting. It is fitting that the memoir's first paragraph recounts a memory that is "not even a memory," but rather something she imagined to be true. In this opening paragraph, Tara demonstrates that she has the narrative power to determine fact from fiction. Tara's authorship is a reclamation of her own story, a story whose validity had been denied by her family in order to uphold the patriarchal family structure.
