Exit Exam

Final Project/Senior Assessment

By Charelle Nesbitt

Submitted to:
Dr. Terri Earl-Kulkosky
Department of Behavior Sciences
December 7, 2007

    I. Summary

Astrid is a twelve-year-old girl who lives with her beautiful mother, Ingrid, a poet.   Her mother is the kind of beauty who turns people’s heads.   Ingrid sees herself as a Valkyrie who would rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven.   She sees herself stronger and tries to live her life in simple elegance.   Astrid’s delegate balance crumbles when her mother falls in love with Barry Kolker, who is the type of man Ingrid deems unworthy of her.   When Barry, after wooing her and slipping into their lives, drops her without a warning, Ingrid becomes quite psychotic, resulting in his murder.

While her mother is in prison, Astrid has first-hand experience of the foster care system.   The first foster mother is Starr, an ex-stripper and alcoholic.   She professes to believe in Jesus Christ but her lifestyle and attire suggest otherwise.   As Astrid turns fourteen, she finds herself falling in love with Starr’s hippie boyfriend, Ray.

      Astrid’s father left her mother when Astrid was two years old. Astrid was happy to be around Ray talking because it made her see him as a father. Starr saw an early bond between Astrid and Ray and did things to separate them. Even threatening to call children services and have Astrid removed from her foster home. Starr never called but watched Astrid like a hawk, leading to Starr missing church meetings and eventually missing church because she did not want to risk her boyfriend giving in to temptations of having sex with Astrid. Astrid began feeling strange seeing Starr and Ray together in happiness. Ray was the first male to make Astrid feel like she was pretty. Ingrid didn’t want Astrid to sleep with her father figure, but Ingrid could not stop Astrid behind prison walls.

      Astrid planned to seduce Ray at a construction site. Astrid took advantage of Ray’s... [continues]

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