Lucky is autobiographical novel which helps readers to understand who Alice Sebold is and what her books are about. Although she writes about her own experience and family issues, almost everyone can find something relatable in this novel. This is the author’s debut, a public confession of her tragedy, family issues, and fears.
Rape and everything attributed to it becomes one of the central themes of the novel. To be sexually assaulted is dreadful experience. The society always warns young girls not to dress too provocatively and behave properly or they might get in trouble. However, there is no guarantee that a person is not going to be raped wearing the most conservative clothes. Rape is not only a physical assault, it is a terrible violation of person’s rights. Alice Sebold was only eighteen-year-old student when this tragedy happened to her. She wasn’t drunk, she didn’t look provocatively, to say more, she was a virgin. They say that such bad things don’t happen to good girls, but they do. Alice and many other victims proved that. There is no need to say that rape is awful, but victim blaming is no less revolting. When a raped girl worries about the way she looks, for she doesn’t want policemen to think that it is her fault, it becomes clear how messed up with world is. The society is not merciful to those who don’t correspond to an idea of an ideal victim. You are to be good, polite, and shy to be pitied by people.
Alice often described herself as destroyed and dirty. Rape took a part of her innocence and she was sure that other people knew and felt that too. She didn’t know what kind of response she wanted to get, but she spoke about rape a lot and couldn’t forget about that. The moment when she said that good boys would never want her showed how desperate she was. It was also evidence that she blamed herself too. For instance, her father couldn’t understand how she could be raped when the assaulter didn’t have any weapon.
Except sexual assaults, the novel covers such themes as alcoholism, depression and an unhappy marriage. It is as clear as a day that Alice’s family could never be one of those which are usually showed in ads. The father, who was constantly busy or abroad and the mother with panic attacks were unable to give their daughters what they needed. Alice’s sister was an example of a child who buried herself in books to forget about everything. Alice’s mother found her salvation in alcohol, but managed to quit drinking. Depression, anxiety, and detachment ruled in the family. It could be quite possible that a process of Alice’s recovery took so long because she was deprived of that family support she needed most of all. Every member of the family had enough on his or her plate to deal with something else.
This novel also portrays a human’s ability to overcome even the most terrible tragedies. It might take a lot of time, but a desire to live a normal life and enjoy it wins.
