Father Absences

In today’s society, while parents are supposed to nurture their children, some are either the ones who cause them the most pain or are oblivious to the fact that their child is depressed or abused. The effect that sexual abuse has on a young child is inexpressible and can affect the way an individual functions. In society, many people underestimate the impact of sexual abuse, especially on young teenage girls, but in the two novels that I studied, the impact that sexual abuse has on a child’s life is clearly severe and apparent.
Father absences often cause many problems in the relationship a child has with either their significant other or other family members. In an article written by Ellis (2003), father absences are what cause females to
In Precious’ case, Precious’ dominant father compels her to have sex with him in order to satisfy his own sexual needs. The most prominent cause of sexual abuse in this instance is mainly his lack of appreciation towards his daughter and his oppressive behaviour. Throughout the novel, his failed relationships with Precious and Mary provoke his aggression towards Precious. Mary and Alphonso’s relationship lacks stability and has a negative impact on the relationship Precious has with both her father and mother. Precious’ parents were never married to begin with, but after a period of time, Precious’ father decides to abandon his family. According to two authors at Princeton University, Beck and McLanahan (2010), there are different causes of low relationship quality and stability, and this is simply one of them. Impaired family relationships are the most essential factors of sexual abuse in both novels. Carl’s dominant personality is the main causation of all the problems he encounters with Mary, thus provoking him to leave her permanently. His dominant traits are shown when Mary feels obligated to him and complies with him into raping their own daughter. Despite the fact that Precious is his daughter, Carl disregards the immorality of his actions. The torment that he puts Precious through is unbelievable and the sexual abuse continues for many years. In this case, Carl’s dominance and control over the two females is widely incorporated in the novel. The abuse that Precious endures only causes her to become weaker and it is a matter of time before she becomes impregnated by him, not once, but twice. The two babies she gives birth to symbolize the struggles that she has had to overcome and the struggles that she will face in the future. Despite the fact that she was only 12 years old at the time her first baby was born, she becomes impregnated for the