A paper based on reading of I Am Not Your Victim by Beth Sipe and Essay

A paper based on reading of I Am Not Your Victim by Beth Sipe and Evelyn J. Hall. This paper will include both personal reflection and an analytical review - Essay Example It is also good for all women who, due to a myriad of reasons, feign ignorance towards domestic violence. I Am Not Your Victim showcase the role of culture, criminal justice institutions and family values in fuelling the vice that is domestic violence. It is unfortunate that the marriage, which she had put so much into, only ended when she killed Sam in self-defense (Sipe 2007). More moving are her vivid descriptions of her encounters with the mental health systems following his death and the criminal justice system which saw her lose custody of her children. Beth was brought up to believe that violence from her husband â€Å"was a sign of affection† and that it was unethical for a woman to be independent of a man. Cultural values instilled in Beth drove her to literally view marriage as a â€Å"for better or for worse† affair where she was supposed to tolerate any amount of violence from her husband. Culture also plays a huge role on Sam’s personality and respect towards women as he witnessed the frequency with which his mother was beaten up by his father. He therefore grew up believing it would not only be tolerable but also acceptable in his household. It’s also important to remember that Beth had been divorced once and a botched second marriage would mean that she had failed her culture miserably (Sipe, 2007). As a result of this, Beth, like any other woman, had to make the marriage work. Tolerating domestic violence and living in the hope that her husband would one day change for the better was the only v iable and culturally acceptable response and option for her. Beth’s fear of loneliness saw her recoil in the vicious cycle of domestic violence. This explains why she would sometimes feel the embarrassment to tell the physicians it was her husband’s blows that kept her checking in. Sam, who was always battering her,