Morales, Rosario. "The Day it Happened." 2008
The story’s plot revolves around the protagonist’s witnessing of a woman leaving her husband on the grounds of domestic violence. Violence within marriages is common with a majority of the reported cases showing women being on the receiving end of different forms of said aggression. However, despite the existence of laws against violence in marriages, some cases go unreported and it is only when matters worsen that people see the need to involve the authorities. It is important to note that violence need not be physical. Rather, one can cause harm on another by words that lead to a constant fear or a degradation in self-esteem. To understand the theme of physical domestic violence in Morales’ work, there is a need for the identification of factors that led to its acceleration and an analysis of the characters.
The tale is told as a narration from a thirteen-year-old girl’s point of view. The use of a young child to tell the story provides a form of innocence as evidenced by her over indulgence of the readers. For instance, as she talks about the current situation of a woman leaving her husband much to the shock of her neighbors and mother, she informs the readers that her parents also have fights (560-561). The aforementioned shock is unmistakable despite the peoples’ knowledge of the woman being in an abusive relationship that has escalated to physical abuse. In the twenty first century, there are cases of women ending up in abusive relationships that later lead to physical injuries. Because the chance of an abusive partner to change is slim, and in some cases nonexistent, a separation is always the better option. On the other hand, the surprise exhibited by the characters is very much like how society reacts to cases of divorce. Hence, it is no wonder that some people choose to remain with a violent partner in the hopes of saving face before their neighbors and family.
According to the girl, the abuse has been going on for a while and everyone is aware of that fact. The narrator’s mother picks Josie up for church because her bruises make her shy away from society and the men in the area think they are better than Ramon is because they only shout at their wives (561) First, the neighbors are wrong in feigning ignorance to the violence in Ramon and Josie’s marriage. Instead, they should have taken steps to stop it before it escalated to physical abuse. For instance, whenever Ramon shouted at his wife, the people ought to have intervened and warned him against the act. I believe counseling can also be a good intervention method. The ideology of the men being better off than Ramon is absurd because before hitting his wife, Ramon just lost his temper and raised his voice. The steps towards causing bodily harm are gradual with losing one’s temper being the first step. It is important to note that most people in communities prefer to stay out of other peoples’ lives. In Morales’ novel, Josie is pregnant and Ramon still hits her thus endangering the life of the unborn baby. Despite the reality that most families value their privacy, there are cases where violence leads to a loss of life if not severe injuries. It is at this point that people start regretting not taking appropriate action. Instead of regretting, societies should aid each other in ensuring their safety within and outside the family walls. The author seems to concur with this notion by portraying the protagonist and community’s support of Josie leaving her husband.
The previously mentioned acceleration of violence in the novel is very much like what happens within relationships. As Ramon advances from raising his voice to raising his fists to hit Josie, an abusive partner acts in the same way. On that note, people should learn that a person, who can cause emotional or psychological harm to his or her loved ones, is also capable of physical harm. The ideology finds basis in the belief that an individual who is incapable of controlling his or her anger levels might lose all control at some point and cause a lot of harm to those under their care. In the case of domestic violence, an aggressive partner might extend his or her hostility to the children. Josie’s fears are in this case, well founded. On a personal level, it is clear that domestic violence can originate from either member of the family. Therefore, parents should strive to be good role models and discourage any form of mistreatment within the household. For example, the lead character informs readers that if she uses foul language, she might get a slap from either one of her parents (560). Despite her age, the narrator is already aware of her vulnerability as a child and later as a woman. If parents develop a safe and violent free environment for their children, they offer security and encourage self-preservation. In turn, said children have a higher potential in creating a safe environment for themselves and their future families.
Conclusively, the recorded domestic violence in Morales’ novel was the climax to a series of uncontained events. Nobody saw a need in curbing Ramon’s angry outbursts and Josie waited until the last minute to take action and protect her baby. I understand that it is hard for people to talk about possible acts of violence, especially when it comes from a loved one. However, individuals should learn to love themselves and protect their best interests within and outside the household setting. Once people understand this factor, it will be easier to achieve some control over the ongoing violence against the female gender.
Work Cited
Morales, Rosario. "The Day it Happened." Madden, Frank. Exploring Literature: Writing and Arguing about Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay (4th Edition). London: Longman, 2008. 560-563. Print.
