Black and Blue
Transcript: The novel "Black and Blue" by the author Anna Quindlen portrays life through the eyes of Fran Benedetto. Fran Benedetto is the victim of abuse and the biggest main character in this book. Her husband, Bobby, is the abuser towards his wife Fran. Fran tolerates his abuse in aspiration to keep a father figure for her son Robert. All of this changed one night. The night Fran Benedetto looked into her 10 year old son's eyes as he witnessed her beating. He looked with horror and disbelief as any 10 year old would do while watching a family member continuously get hurt. Fran, with her son Robert, seeks out to find help and finally moves far away from Bobby. From there she creates a new lifestyle with everything she now knows she deserves. Keeping in mind a quote Bobby always repeated to her: "I will never let you go." Despite her new life she still lives on with the thought that it is only a matter of time. As predicted, Bobby showed up at Fran's house and after beating her for the last time he takes Robert while he's at it. In the end, Fran restarts her life, gets married to Mike Riordan, and has a little girl named Grace. Fran's last quote is, "There’s not a day when I haven’t wondered whether I did the right thing, leaving Bobby. But of course if I hadn’t, there would have been no . . . Grace Ann. Your children make it impossible to regret your past. They’re its finest fruits. Sometimes its only ones." Definition: Spousal abuse, child abuse, or intimate partner violence can be broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors brought about from one of the people in the relationship. One theme of the book "Black and Blue" could be domestic abuse. This is because of the way Bobby behaves towards Fran. He hits her right in front of their son, Robert. Throughout this novel, Fran puts up with a lot of abuse from Bobby in the beginning and end of the novel. THE END!! Thank you for watching! :) Husband of Fran Job: Police Officer Abusive towards Fran Came from abusive family In my opinion, the book "Black and Blue" was based off a very current issue that is frequently overlooked. Domestic abuse occurs in many households today and rarely gets brought to attention. This novel keeps the audience hooked with all the suspense. I was always left wondering what events will occur next in Fran's life. Overall, I would recommend this book to other people who are interested in psychological genres of books. Parenting/ Guidance The themes in this novel relate to real life because Domestic abuse occurs EVERYWHERE! Many households live with the burden of abuse and never bring it to anyone's attention. Fran, on the other hand, brought her situation to Patty Bancroft's attention and received help which benefited her and her son Robert's life. Mrs.Levitt, Cindy, Winney: Head of Women's Abuse Help Talk show Helped Fran change her name and move Ran an underground network of women against abuse Moved Fran from NY to Florida Heroes: Settings: Heroes 10 years old Son of Fran and Bobby Innocent Moves with Mom to Florida Victim of abuse Beaten by Bobby Wife of Bobby Narrator Mother of Robert Job: Nurse/Nurse Assistant All survived tragic occurrences within their lives. Mrs.Levitt = Survived holocaust Cindy = Escaped her terrible upbringing and still deals with the mental scars. Met at Lake Plata All had abusive relationships too Domestic Abuse Heroes in a novel show great courage and pick up characters that may be falling into bad places. A second theme in this novel is heroes. For example, Patty Bancroft could be considered one of Fran's heroes for saving her from Bobby and transporting her to Florida in order to start her new life. Winney, Grace, Cindy, and Mrs.Levitt (all friends/family of Fran) also helped her through this emotional time. As friends they supported her and protected her throughout her journey. Patty helped move Fran into Florida, change her name to Beth Crenshaw, and attempt to keep her out of harms way. Brooklyn, New York Lake Plata, Florida Black And Blue Mini Summary Themes and Messages Parenting/ Guidance Lastly, a third theme within this novel could be Parenting/ Guidance. The novel "Black and Blue" dealt with many parenting circumstances. For example, what to say to your child when removing them from their one and only father figure. Especially when you get moved miles away from NY to Florida. Domestic Abuse can destroy a family. How would you explain to your child that their father was abusive? What actions would you take in order to be safe and make it the least bit traumatic for the kid itself? Well, Fran Benedetto was faced with all these circumstances and the decision she made was for the best. Domestic Abuse: Sister of Fran Determined Unmarried Strong ideals Main Characters: Fran Benedetto (Beth Crenshaw): By: Emily Guillerault Grace: Bobby Benedetto: Robert Benedetto: Patty Bancroft:
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