Report on the similarities and differences of Domestic violence in texts studied. Essay

In the many movies, articles, poems and songs relating to the topic of domestic I have investigated there are many similarities along with some differences. The texts that illustrated these similarities and differences best were, Once Were Warriors, Directed By Lee Tamahori, The Colour Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg, Hope for a New Day, By Nicole Hildreth and Decline into Darkness by Gay Oakes. The similarities present are the emotional and physical abuse can and often do lead to sexual abuse. Also that domestic abuse affects not only the one who is abused but family, friends and neighbours. The difference I observed were the acceptability of domestic violence in different time periods and how the victims respond to the abuse.

In the novel, Decline into Darkness, by Gay Oakes and the movie Once Were Warriors, directed by Lee Tamahori both have physical and emotional abuse which leads to sexual abuse later on. In Decline into darkness, which is based on a true story, Gay Oakes suffered terrible emotional and physical abuse for 10 years at the hands of her husband Douglas ‘Doug’ Gardener. Because of the abuse Gay felt cut off from society and was unable to seek the help she needed to leave Doug once and for all. If Oakes was to break free from Doug’s vicious abuse her young daughter wouldn’t have fallen victim to him. It was years later that Oakes found out that her daughter was being sexually abused by her husband. “At first I thought she was lying to me.” In Once Were Warriors Beth Heke’s husband, Jake, is abusive to her emotionally and physically. Jake often would indulge in all night parties at their residence. Beth couldn’t stand these parties as it kept her children awake at night. These parties aloud a very close family friend, ‘Uncle Bully’, into the house. During a fight between Beth and Jake Bully left the main room and raped Beth’s oldest daughter Grace. “He raped our Gracey”. In both cases the similarity was that the emotional and physical...