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| Plot Summary of Behind Closed Doors |
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"
Warner, August 2004, 25.95, 465 pp.
ISBN 0446530281
In 1955, while visiting her sister in Boston, Valerie O'Connor met and fell in love with Jack Marsh, the friend of her brother in law's brother. They saw each other every day until she returned home to her parents in Portland; Jack followed. Shortly there after he asked her parents for their permission to marry Valerie and although they had some doubts about the man's character, they gave their blessing.
Their wedding night was a disaster as Jack was only interested in satisfying his needs and as a result, Valerie had a lifelong revulsion to sex. She did her duty and was thrilled when she birthed five children before she was told she could not have anymore due to health reasons. As the years passed, Jack became increasingly abusive, hitting not only her but also their children. When they were of age, their kids left. One became a nun; another turned to prostitution; two went to jail; and the last a raged Jack threw off the roof when he was in an uncontrollable rage. The anger that Valerie tried to keep in check for years finally explodes and results in a tragedy that could cost her freedom.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is a mesmerizing work of psychological suspense that examines in depth the impact of a violent drunken abuser and a woman who accepts what her husband dished out. The story line shows the co-dependency between the abuser and abused so that Valerie does not garner much sympathy especially when she is incapable of protecting their children. Susan R. Sloan has written a memorable book that is not pretty or nice but accurately represents one of society's worst social problems.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Behind Closed Doors |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- present (2000-2010)
Family, struggle with
Yes
Struggle with:
- Husband
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- homemaker
Age:
- 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Irish/McCourt
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Click here for more information about this book
Susan R. Sloan Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Harriet Klausner
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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