Essay Questions

How would you interpret, psychoanalytically, Reynolds' violence towards Jeanette when he moves into her house? (Chapter one)

Cronin elucidates, “He hit her the first time after he’d been living there three months; he was drunk, and once he did it, he burst out crying and said, over and over how sorry he was. He was on his knees, blubbering, like she’d done something to him. She had to understand, he was saying, how hard it all was, all the changes in his life, it was more than a man, any man, could take.” Reynolds' assault is a form of displacement whereby he hits her, yet she is not liable for his joblessness and lack of money. Besides, his intoxication is contributory to his aggression. If he were sober, he would contemplate the implication of assaulting Jeanette.

What is the psychological significance of forgiving? (Chapter three)

Cronin explains, “There were visiting days, of course, but carter hadn’t had visitor in all the time he’d been in Terell except for once, when the woman’s husband had come and told him that he’d found Christ Jesus who was the Lord and that he’d prayed on what Carter had done, taking his beautiful wife away from him and his babies forever and ever; and that through the weeks and months of praying, he’d come to terms with this and decided to forgive him. The man did a lot of crying sitting on the other side of the glass with the phone pressed to his head.” Forgiving relieves one from the burden of repressing his/ her anger after being hurt. The man’s resolution to forgive Carter surmises that he will no longer begrudge him although he murdered his family. Even if he had resolved not to forgive him,. His status of bereavement would not be reversed. Religion contributes meaningfully to his resolution to forgive, which redeems him from the stress of holding onto his pain.