In the family, writing wasn't anything anyone understood - being a writer in the real world? How could it be? We didn't have those mirrors.
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
Growing up, I thought my grandfather was dead. Later, I learned he was alive, but my family pretended he didn't exist because of the terrible way he'd abused my grandmother and my mother. He did things like shave my grandmother's head and lock her in a closet. With my mother's help, my grandmother finally left him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the painful realities of family secrets and trauma caused by abuse.
Deborah Pryce's quote sheds light on the hidden sufferings within a family marked by abuse. It reveals the complexities of familial relationships, where love can be overshadowed by pain and neglect, as seen through the narrative of a grandson coming to terms with the legacy of his grandfather's abusive behavior. The revelation of the grandfather’s actions and the family's decision to bury the truth speaks to the difficulties faced by victims of domestic violence and the enduring impact of such trauma across generations.
Themes
AbuseFamilyTraumaSecretsTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a family therapy session, this quote can be used to discuss the impact of generational trauma.
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