Half the House Book Review
Introduction
Half the House: Memoir is a cutthroat masterpiece by Richard Hoffman, and it was first published in the year 1995. The book was then republished in 2005 with an afterword added to the memoir in 1996. Hoffman claimed that the book was nonfiction and the scenes described in the book were experiences he underwent in his childhood life. However, the names of the characters have been altered safely for the name of the football coach that had sexually molested him in his childhood. The book describes the hardships Hoffman faced in the hands of the ruthless society, his poor family, and an abusive father. The book highlights the depths of the social and behavior crimes that sometimes go undetected in the American societies (Hoffman 3).
The book review will analyze the emotional concepts of the human lives and behavior demonstrated in the book. The author will evaluate the physical and sexual abuse exhibited in the narration as well as the historical and transactional analysis of the emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. The writer will analyze the nature, causes, and the consequences of the psychological, sexual, and physical molestation as demonstrated in the book. The writer will review the issues affecting the families and their contribution to the abuse. Finally, the manuscript will review evidence of domestic violence, the character of the perpetrators, and relevant diversity issues represented in the book.
Analysis of the Emotional Concepts
The emotional concepts describe the issues that affect the human feelings, attitudes, psychology, behavior and sometimes the mental stability of the people in the society. The emotions depict the perception of the people about their environment, relationships, and their economic contribution to the society. The emotions characterized in the book by Hoffman depict the feelings of empathy, pity, sympathy, disappointment, revenge, and triumph. Hoffman describes his family struggle to raise his two sick brothers. His family was not economically well doing, and it was a great struggle to afford the care for the sick children. At the height of the economic problems, Hoffman`s father may have been influenced by the challenges in the family and resulted in violence against Hoffman and other family members (Hoffman 8).
Hoffman`s mother was worried about the sick children and the eminent threat posed by the abusive husband. Uncertainty and loss of hope played a dominant part in her life. On the other hand, the football coach took advantage of the disadvantaged children such as Hoffman and sexually assaulted them. The feelings of joy and triumph are described in the book by relating the life Hoffman was leading at the time of publication of the book compared to his childhood (Hoffman 12).
Analysis of the Physical Abuse
In the Half House Memoir, Hoffman describes incidences and evidence of the physical abuse in the then society. Violence can be defined as an action that is carried out with the intention of hurting another person intentionally according to Sokoloff (38). According to Hoffman on page 2, “families are sources of maltreatment and violence.” The physical abuse is existing in the families demonstrated to have been biased along the age and gender in the community. The people that were at a higher risk of falling victims to the physical abuse were the women and the young children in the society. Incidences of domestic violence that exhibited women and children being the victims are vividly described in the book. Hoffman`s father was among the perpetrators that physically abused Hoffman and his mother in many instances (Weinreb 5). For instance, the number of women and children succumb to criminal assaults as well as homicides are high. Additionally, according to Bachman & Saltzman, 1995, statistical summaries indicate that family violence affects children and women in the United States’ most violent cities.
Other instances of physical abuse directed towards children was significantly portrayed I the learning institutions. The elder students bullied the young learners in the schools. In addition, the teachers did not protect the children against the bullies and in some instances; the actions of the teachers could have been regarded to amount to bullying. The children were further physically abused by the adult population in the community, either in their homes or the neighborhood. The adults demanded obedience and posed as authorities to the children that had to comply with every demand made by the adults. Failure to comply would result in physical abuse such as beating, punishment or being denied food in the event the disobedience was family based (Weinreb 43).
Analysis of Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse can be defined as the use, employment, or inducement of a minor to take part in, or assist another individual to take part in, any sexual exploiting conduct with an intention of producing visual depictions of such a conduct (Belsky 413). Sexual abuse is significantly portrayed in the Hoffman book Half the House, especially the sexual abuse targeting young children. Although the analysis described incidences of the sexual abuse by the mature people in the society that comprised and constituted of many incidences of domestic violence and abuse, children molestation and sexual abuse is more addressed in the writing. It is not clear whether Hoffman decided to dwell more on the incidences of the children sexual abuse in the society because it was the highly manifested form of sexual abuse or because he had fallen victim to the sexual offenders.
Hoffman could have used his book to expose the football coach that had sexually abused him and many other children in his childhood, or he could have written about the incidences to bring to attention the extent and the influence of sexual abuse to the children in the society. Hoffman describes his introduction to the football club where the coach, Feifel, took him as his favorite. He introduced him to pornography films and sexually assaulted him on several occasions until he threatened to report the issue. The coach then moved on to another boy. The book describes the sexual abuse his mother faced in the hands of their alcoholic father that physically assaulted his mother and sexually abused her (Weinreb 4). Kids who experience these mistreatments are had a high chance of exhibiting emotional, behavioral, and physical impairments that their non-abused counterparts (Hoffman, 152)
Historical, Ecological, and Transactional Analysis of the Emotional, Physical, and Sexual Abuse
The events of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in the Hoffman`s book are depicted to follow specific trends in the community that Hoffman lived. The violence and emotional abuse are seen to be significantly influenced by the social and economic status of the families. The economically stable and the social well-up families had fewer incidences of the domestic violence as compared to the economically challenged families. The economic status in the community significantly influenced the social status of the families and the manner that the society regarded them. Marriage and family life significantly influenced the incidences of the sexual abuse of the adults and the children alike (Weinreb 23).
The coach that was depicted as the key sexual child molester was nor married and got his sexual satisfaction from abusing the children. The social settings in the community that denied the children a voice in the community contributed to their emotional abuse, sexual molestation, and mental tranquil as they suffered in silence without anyone they could turn to for help. An example can be offered by Hoffman, who suffered sexual molestation from the coach but lacked anyone to help with his father being a violent and abusive son, and the mother having more at hand than she could handle.
Analysis of the Nature of the Physical, Sexual, and Psychological Abuse
The nature of the sexual abuse included exposure of the minors either to adult pornographic materials, in printed or in digital form. The incidences recorded by Hoffman about his being introduced to child sex by his football coach indicates that the coach used to provide him with adults’ pornographic films and cartoons that they watched with him. The coach had printed pornographic materials that were exposed to Hoffman. Also, the sexual abuse included the actual involvement of the intimate actions by the offenders to their victims. Hoffman says that the coach raped him many times until he threatened to voice the issue to the external world that prompted the coach to move on to another boy.
Incidences of extreme sexist and vulgar language used in the homes and indecent exposure were another form of sexual abuse. The physical abuse took the form of beating, denial of food, and punishment of the children of the adults and the elder persons in the society. In the schools, the bullies, the teachers, physically molested the children, and the parents punished them. Psychological abuse was significantly the result of the physical and sexual abuse of the children in the communities. The children did not have a secure place either in the homes, in the schools, or in the community. They felt isolated and mistreated from all the corners with nowhere to find solace. The accumulated effects of these outcomes were manifested in the children as psychological problems.
Analysis of the Causes of the Physical, Sexual, and Psychological Abuse
The causes of the physical, mental, and sexual abuse are depicted to follow specific trends in the society that Hoffman was living in. One of the factors that are seen to contribute to the physical violence is alcoholism, drug and substance abuse. Before Hoffman`s father had sunk to alcohol, he used to be a nice father and husband, He was considerate, caring and always there for the family. After he had taken to alcohol, his concern for the family was significantly reduced. He abandoned his duties and responsibilities to the family and finally resulted to violence to hide his shame and avoid being questioned about his actions (Weinreb, 7)
However, it would be critical to note that the key contributor the physical violence can be linked to the critical cause of alcoholism behavior in the society. Poverty and social stratification in the society played a significant role in behavior crimes. Hoffman`s father may have turned to alcoholism when he was faced with the burden of caring for the sick children and the other family, a responsibility that his economic status did not allow. Secondly, with their economic status and the social stigma of having sick children, his family was shunned and neglected by the society. Causes of the sexual crimes can be attributed to poverty, alcoholism, and social settings of the community that neglected children leaving them exposed to all manners of crimes without anyone to turn to (Hoffman 23).
Consequences of the Physical, Sexual, and Psychological Abuse
The effects of the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse had significant effects on the people in the Hoffman`s society. The effect of the events was different depending on the relationship of the person to the crime, age, gender, and the social responsibility of the community. The offenders of the crimes got away with it in most of the occasions owing to the lack of knowledge about where and what to report. In such events, they continued with their crimes changing victims, environment, and tactics (Hoffman 55).
On the other hand, the victims of the physical and sexual molestation suffered significantly mentally and in physical injuries that affected their social relationships, family lives, and their economic contribution to the society. The physically and sexually abused children lived in fear and distrusted the adults in the community. Bullying in schools affected the performance of the victims with some children dropping out of school altogether. Hoffman talks about these effects of exposing kids to interparental violence. The kids who are brought up in homes that are violent experience various threats. Psychological abuse influenced the mental stability of the victims significantly that in turn influenced their behavior considerably. Some of the areas in a child that are affected include emotional functioning, behavior problems, social competence, cognitive ability, and physical health. Psychological problems caused the children to isolate themselves from the ordinary communities and social functions and adopt a lonely lifestyle with two or three close friends that they could share their experiences. The abused spouses lost trust and hope in the family institution, and some instances led to divorce.
Issues Affecting the Families and Their Influence to Abuse
In the society described by Hoffman, families played a critical factor in the social and economic settings. The family acted as the first social unit with the members of the family expected to care, love, and cherish one another under all circumstances. The families formed an economic unit where every member of the family had duties and responsibilities to fulfill in the family. In the then society, the husband was the breadwinner and the mother a homemaker to care for the children. However, the situations sometimes were reversed if the mother had a stable source of income, although the husband remained to be the head of the family and the decision-maker.
Economic and financial challenges/poverty were the critical issues that was affecting the family institution. When the husband was incapacitated by the prevailing circumstances and was unable to provide for his family, the society and sometimes the family members perceived him as a failure. In his shame and respond to the social rejection, he could turn to alcoholism, drug, and substance abuse. His behaviors were significantly influenced by the social rejection and alcoholism that resulted in violence and physical abuse to the family (Hoffman 39).
Evidence of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence can be defined as any form of physical or emotional abuse that results in a breach of peaceful existence between the family members in their homes. In Hoffman`s book, there is evidence of domestic violence exhibited significantly by his alcoholic father. Richard`s father had taken to alcohol and become a daily drunkard that physically abused Richard and his mother. In most of the incidences described by Richard, his father`s brutal and violent actions were not justified and called for. When he was drunk, he became irritated for no apparent reason, was difficult to understand or reason with. Any argument or questions directed to him would result in a fight.
Although Hoffman and his mother tried to avoid him when in his drunken state, he always found a way of finding fault with them that resulted in their beating. Domestic violence incidences are further illustrated with the school children and Richard`s friends that share their experiences in the schools. Some of the children came to school with swollen faces and red eyes resulting from the beatings they had received from their abusive parents. Sometimes, the children were significantly physically assaulted and failed to attend the classes the following day. The incidences were uncovered by the teachers after they learned about Hoffman`s case (Weinreb 38).
Characteristics of the Domestic Violence Offenders
The domestic offenders described in Richard`s book are exhibited as psychological and social problems that were deeply rooted in their economic statues status and influenced significantly by the social settings of the community. The adult males in the community dominated the scene of the domestic offenders with women and children falling victims to their actions. The fathers that had their economic status affected such that they were unable to meet their family and social, economic responsibilities turned to alcohol, drug and substance use.
The combined effects of the stress resulting from the social neglect of those individuals and the effects of alcohol caused them to adopt easily revoked anger and irritability that resulted in violence and physical abuse to the people that were close to them. Disillusion, loss of hope, and mistrust with the socio-economic and ethical standards in the community characterized the mental perception of the domestic offenders. The individuals had lost hope in the families, their careers, and social life. Economic strains had caused them to question the social settings that provided the responsibility of the fathers of caring and providing for the family, yet the economic settings sometimes were not for the approach (Joanne 14).
Relevant Diversity Related Issues
Relevant diversity issues expressed in the Half the House by Richard Hoffman are along the educational level, age, gender, governance, social, and ethnic groups in the American societies. Hoffman describes the difference in the economic status of the families in the society that had a significant influence on the lives their led in the society. The schools and the social places were divided according to the economic wellbeing of the people. The children from the poor families attended poor schools where the teachers did not care as much as they cared for the children of the rich people. The ecological approach that to abuse of children and women conceptualizes acts of violence as a phenomenon that is multifaceted that is grounded in an interplay amongst sociocultural, situational, and personal factors (Heise, 262-290).
The manner of the Governance was inclined towards caring and having special attention to the needs of the rich in the community. The poor children that were mistreated in all manners of physical, sexual, and psychological molestations had nowhere to seek remedy. Their parents abused them verbally and physically, their teachers punished them and abused them psychologically and physically, while the society took advantage of the helplessness of the kids and abused them sexually and through child labor. The perpetrators of the domestic violence were dominantly men, and the level of education, ethnicity and social grouping influenced their behavior significantly. The level of education could have been attributed to the economic advantage that came with an increased level of education and professionalism thus the most educated people did not face the economic hardships that were being faced by the unskilled workforce. The social groupings of the members of the society were along the economic settings thus the poor associated with the poor. Also, the rich and the poor people lived in different geographical locations that were significantly dissimilar in the provision and availability of social amenities and infrastructure (Joanne 5).
Conclusion
Hoffman’s Half the House: A Memoir is a narration that depicts the moral decadence of the society, children neglecting in the society and the extent and influence of the social and economic settings to the incidences of the behavior and violence crimes. The book describes the events and experiences of Richard in his childhood. It highlights the extent of domestic violence, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse in the society. The writer reveals the nature of the behavior crimes in the then society, the causes, and the effect of the same to the community. The book highlights poverty as the critical contributor of the social and moral vices in the society. Sexual exploitation and abuse are significantly influenced by the social settings in the society that allow some vices to pass unnoticed and unpunished. Neglect of the poor children by the society, their hardship in the homes, and the disregard of the teachers in the schools made the children vulnerable to the sex criminals and molesters. The society did not provide care, security, or an ear to the psychologically, physically, and sexually abused children.
According to, Mitchel chapter two and four, intimate partner violence is a very serious problem among families and leads to lasting as well as harmful impacts families. Prevention strategies need to be designed to curb what is currently happening. The efforts have to ensure that intimate partner violence is reduced through promoting respectful, healthy, and non-violent relationships. One way to promote healthy relationships is through addressing transformation at all stages of social ecology that have impacts on intimate partner violence. In addition, effectual prevention efforts can curb the known risks factors for this type of violence-promoting relationships that are healthy.
Works Cited
Belsky, J. Etiology of child maltreatment: A developmental ecological analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 114(3) (1993), 413-434.
Heise, L.L. Violence against women: An integrated, ecological formwork, Violence against Women, 4(3), (1998). 262-290.
Hoffman, Richard. Half the House: A Memoir. 2015 Anniversary Edition. 2015. Moorhead, MN: New Rivers Press.
Joanne, Timmons. Understanding Domestic violence. Pp 1-56., 2015. Class handouts. Print
Mitchell, C. and Anglin, D. Intimate partner violence (Chapters 2 and 4). (2009) New York: Oxford University Press.
Weinreb, Maxine L. Corporal Punishment, and Physical Abuse. Pp. 1-23., 2016. Class Handout
Weinreb, Maxine L. The Impact of Interpersonal Violence on Children and Their Families:
Considerations for Effective Intervention. P.1-61. N.d.Class Handout.
Weinreb, Maxine L. The Ecology of Family Violence. Pp 1-19., N.d. Class Handout.
