1 Keyes Annie Keyes April 6th, 2011 Professor Farrell Griffin Essay Final If you Cope there is Hope:

Effects of epression !arah Griffin"s #ritin$ approach in %&ur !ecret' is li(e the )* sho# Modern Family+ )here are ,any -ifferent people #ho see, -issi,ilar #hen you first loo( at the,, .ut #ho all interact #ith each other to ,a(e one #hole fa,ily in the en-+ In the sa,e #ay, %&ur !ecret' is ,a-e up of ,any /u0tapose- passa$es, that see, e0tre,ely -issi,ilar #hen first rea- throu$h, .ut #hen the rea-er ta(es a closer loo(, all the sections interact an- relate to each other 1ia -eeper connections an- ,eanin$s+ Griffin forces the rea-er to thin( a.out her essay in a pro.le, sol1in$ ,anner an- fi$ure out on their o#n ho# they connect instea- of layin$ it out in .lac( an- #hite for the rea-er+ &ne of the ,ain the,es that she is tryin$ to $et across to her rea-er is the i,portance of chilrearin$+ !he focuses on -ifferent, possi.ly unsuccessful, chil-hoo- rearin$ techni2ues an- e0a,ples throu$h the -ifferent characters+ Ho# the characters an- people in $eneral, -eal #ith, or i$nore, their chil-hoo- e0periences contri.utes to their actions as a-ults, the t#o ,ain ,etho-s of copin$ Griffin re1eals .ein$ repression or acceptance+ Griffin portrays ,any -ifferent the,es throu$hout her essay %&ur !ecret', one of the, .ein$ that chil-rearin$ alone -oes not -eter,ine #ho a chil- .eco,es, .ut it is ,ore -eter,ine- .y ho# the chil- reacts to their up.rin$in$+ Parents influence their chil-ren in t#o -ifferent, yet e2ually i,portant #ays+ )he first is unchan$ea.le an- ine1ita.le+ )hat is the $enes that are passe- on fro, one

2 Keyes $eneration to the ne0t+ Chil-ren #ill en- up #ith si,ilar appearances an- personalities of their parents+ )he secon- factor that is so,e#hat controlle- .y the parent is the en1iron,ent in #hich they -eci-e to raise their chil-ren+ 3ntil the chil- enters school, parents ha1e a stron$ control o1er #hat their chil-ren are e0pose- to+ In %&ur !ecret', Griffin illustrates the process that Hi,,ler #ent throu$h as a chil- at ho,e, an- ho# his father forces hi, to #rite in a /ournal e1ery -ay+ Hi,,ler"s #or-s are %li(e the #or-s of a school.oy co,,an-e- to #rite #hat the teacher 4Ge.har-5 re2uires of hi,, they are #oo-en an- stiff' 6Griffin 7028 an- he slo#ly is replacin$ his true self #ith %the i,a$e he has constructe- at the .i--in$ of others' 6Griffin 7098, specifically his father+ Hi,,ler ha- the potential to .e a nor,al, carin$ hu,an .ein$, .ut .ecause of the #ay his father reare- hi,, his character #as ,ol-e- into a strict, rule a.i-in$, po#er hun$ry in-i1i-ual+ Interestin$ly, in all of Hi,,ler"s -iaries, there is no entry #here ra$e #as e0presse- in the #riter 6Griffin 7098+ )his coul- ,ean that an$er #as not present in Hi,,ler"s life, .ut it is ,ore li(ely to ,ean that the ra$e that he felt #as not sho#n .ecause his father prohi.ite- it+ :urin$ this ti,e in Ger,any %there ,ust .e no 1isi.le trace of resent,ent to#ar-s the parent' 6Griffin 7098, #hich e0e,plifies another aspect of life that influences youn$ chil-ren: culture+ ;et, repressin$ certain feelin$s is ,entally unhealthy, an- possi.ly le- to Hi,,ler unconsciously e0pressin$ his chil-hoo- an$er later in life, throu$h the actions he too( -urin$ the Holocaust+ <hile parents ha1e a si$nificant a,ount of control o1er ho# their chil-ren -e1elop ,entally, they -o not ha1e total control+ %Chil-hoo- e0perience is /ust one ele,ent in the -eter,inin$ fiel-' 6Griffin 70=8+ !o,e of the other factors that contri.ute to ho# so,eone -e1elops are the culture of #here one li1es, the class they are .orn into

7 Keyes an- the natural a-1anta$es they ha1e, their other surroun-in$ at pu.lic institutions such as school, an- the connections that they ha1e #ith certain people+ All of these ,a(e up the lar$er ,atri0 that e1eryone is a part of+ An e0a,ple of ho# culture shape- Ger,an chil-ren -urin$ this ti,e is :r+ !chre.er an- his o.scene chil-rearin$ practices+ <hile all these other influences -o shape people, Griffin su.tly e0presses her opinion that the effect of chil-rearin$ is the ,ost po#erful+ !he ,entions ho# each -ifferent character #as .rou$ht up throu$hout the essay: >eo"s father %#as a col- ,an, $i1en to ra$es o1er s,all errors 4an-5 >eo #as .eat often' 6Griffin 7768? >aura"s father e0pose- her to the horrors of the Holocaust at a youn$ a$e? Hein@"s ,other accepte- an- lo1e- hi,, e1en after he ca,e out? e1en her o#n ,other"s up.rin$in$ is ,entione- in the essay+ Chil-rearin$ is the one ele,ent that rea-ers can connect in each in-i1i-ual character"s story+ Aany psycholo$ists ha1e speculate- a.out the reasons .ehin- #hy torture is inflicte- upon others+ Griffin focuses on torture as a #ay for the inflictor to e0press pain that they felt in their past an- that is represse-+ By ,a(in$ the 1icti, feel #hat they felt earlier in their life, the torturer feels a sense of relief+ People #ill $o to $reat len$ths to feel that sense of co,fort, as Griffin sho#s in the follo#in$ t#o /u0tapose- passa$es+ !he -escri.es her ne$ati1e relationship #ith her $ran-,other in the first passa$e: CI i,a$ine- ,yself as ,y $ran-,otherDs torturer I ca,e to un-erstanthat, /ust as I ha- #ante- ,y $ran-,other to feel #hat I ha- felt, she #ante- ,e to feel as she ha- felt+ Eot #hat she felt as a #o,an, .ut #hat she ha- felt lon$ a$o as a chil-+ Her chil-hoo- #as lost to her, the feelin$s no lon$er re,e,.ere-+ &ne #ay or another, throu$h punish,ent, se1erity, or e1en ri-icule, she coul-

= Keyes $oa- ,e into fury an- then tears+ I e0presse- her all she ha- hel- insi-e for so lon$+ 67228 People torture others as a #ay to e0press their a.usi1e ,e,ories fro, their chil-hoo-+ It ser1es as a for, of copin$, an- .rin$s ,o,entary relief #hen so,eone else feels #hat you ha- felt so lon$ a$o, feelin$s that are no# .urie- -eep insi-e yourself+ Continuin$ on the the,e of torture, in the follo#in$ passa$e Griffin -escri.es a prisoner .ein$ torture-: )he .eatin$ co,,ences+ An- the prisoner counts out the nu,.ers+ But other#ise he is silent+ E0cept for the nu,.ers, not a cry, not a soun-, passes his lips+ An- this puts the co,,an-ant in ra$e+ He or-ers the $uar- to stri(e har-er an- #ith the lash? he increases the nu,.er of lashes? he or-ers the prisoner to .e$in countin$ fro, @ero a$ain+ Finally, the .eatin$ shall continue until the swine starts screaming, he shouts+ An- no#, #hen the prisonerDs .loo- is flo#in$ to the $roun-, he starts to ho#l+ An- #ith this the co,,an-antDs face $ro#s re-++ 67228 <hen people #ho are .ein$ torture- -o not sho# the feelin$s that the perpetrator #ants, then the torturer #ill continue until he $ets #hat he #ants+ )he nee- for that feelin$ of ,o,entary relief felt .y people #ith represse- feelin$s fro, their chil-hoo- is so stron$ that they #ill al,ost (ill innocent people, as in the secon- passa$e, or hurt people #ho are close to the,, as in the first passa$e+ Both sho# that for people, the feelin$ that is recei1e- #hen your 1icti, cries an- feels the pain you felt earlier in your life, is #orth the -ee-s that $ot the, to that point, no ,atter ho# .a- or e1il those -ee-s #ere+ ;et, there are other #ays to -eal #ith the ne$ati1e e1ents that happene- in a person"s past+ If the feelin$s are represse-, as they #ere .y Griffin"s $ran-,other an- the co,,an-ant, then they #ill ,ost li(ely co,e out unconsciously throu$hout the person"s life in

9 Keyes ne$ati1e #ays+ In contrast, if the person can ac(no#le-$e that they ha1e these repressefeelin$s throu$h therapy or other for,s of help, then they are ,ore li(ely to cope #ith the, consciously an- in positi1e #ays that -o not hurt other people+ )here ha1e .een ,any psycholo$y stu-ies to sho# the effects of repression on the ,e,ory+ <hile ,any aspects of repression are still .ein$ -e.ate- to-ay, the ,a/ority of psycholo$ists a$ree #ith Griffin+ )hey .elie1e that a.use, physical an- se0ual, -urin$ chil-hoo- can lea- to repression of feelin$s+ Because repression -oes not co,pletely erase the ,e,ories, it only forces the, into the su.conscious, they continue to effect the 1icti, throu$hout their life+ )o achie1e ,o,entary relief fro, the su.conscious ne$ati1e feelin$s, people ten- to inflict on others #hat #as inflicte- upon the, 6Krin$ 1F68+ Griffin"s e1aluation of all her characters" chil-hoo-, an- the unco1erin$ of 1arious ne$ati1e e0perience that they ha-, sho#s her support for the i-ea of ,e,ory repression an- its effects+ !he states that %e1en unre,e,.ere-, the past ne1er -isappears+ It e0ists still an- continues un-er a ,antle of silence, in1isi.ly shapin$ li1es' 6Griffin 7=78, #hich is a .eautiful an- creati1e ta(e on represse- ,e,ories+ E1en Griffin"s o#n chil-hoo- #as full of 1er.al a.use fro, her ,other+ Because she #as a.le to cope #ith her .a,e,ories .y #ritin$ a.out the, in %&ur !ecret', she is not ,is$ui-in$ her feelin$s onto un-eser1in$ peers+ epression is consistently ,entione- .y Griffin throu$hout the essay as possi.le reasonin$ .ehin- #hy people co,,it e1il acts a$ainst hu,anity+ epression has to -o #ith the .loc(in$ out of certain ,e,ories as a -efense ,echanis,+ Griffin -escri.es it elo2uently #hen she says %,e,ory can .e li(e a lon$, halfGlit tunnel, a tunnel #here one is li(ely to encounter phanto,s of a self, lon$ conceale-, no lon$er nourishe- #ith the

6 Keyes force of consciousness, e0istin$ in a torture- state .et#een life an- -eath' 67708+ !o,e ,e,ories fro, chil-hoo-, such as se0ual or physical a.use, are so trau,atic that in-i1i-uals that they are pushe- into the unconscious+ )hese ,e,ories are not for$otten, .ut rather .eco,e .lurry an- %halfGlit'+ If one atten-s therapy, an- 1entures -o#n these -ar( tunnels of their represse- ,e,ories, the ,e,ories are unco1ere- an- .rou$ht to the consciousness+ )he patient, #ith help, can re,e,.er the trau,atic e0perience, an- sees for the first ti,e the %phanto,', #hich is the, #hen they #ere .ein$ a.use-, that has .een hi--en a#ay for years fro, their conscious ,in-+ )he passa$e a.out ,e,ory contri.utes to the un-erstan-in$ of the /u0tapose- one -irectly a.o1e it #hich rea-s %)hey 4prisoners5 #or( for ei$hteen hours a -ay4C5 for si0 hours they ,ust try to sleep in the tunnels4C5 they see the -ayli$ht only once a #ee(, at the !un-ay roll call+ )he tunnels the,sel1es are illu,inate- #ith faint li$ht .ul.s' 6Griffin 7708+ <hen I first rea- this I thou$ht that the ,entionin$ of the tunnels .ein$ poorly lit #as /ust contri.utin$ to the -escription of ho# .a- the #or(in$ con-itions #ere at the concentration ca,p+ &nce I rerea- this pa$e, I reali@e- the -eeper ,eanin$ of Griffin"s #or-s+ )he poorly lit tunnels are a reference to the poorly lit ,e,ories of the prisoners that ha- to #or( -o#n there+ Aany of the sur1i1ors of the Holocaust stru$$leto re,e,.er #hat happene- at the ca,ps+ &nly once they reali@e- ho# i,portant it #as to not for$et the horri.le e1ents that they li1e- throu$h, -i- they reach into the halfGlit tunnels of their ,e,ories an- retrie1e the necessary phanto,s of their past+ Griffin inclu-e- the faint li$ht .ul.s that .arely illu,inate- their #or(in$, sleepin$ an- eatin$ area as a representation of the repression of those ,e,ories, #hich ser1e- as their #ay of copin$ #ith the,, an- possi.ly helpe- the prisoners ,a(e it throu$h the Holocaust+

F Keyes Further -o#n on the pa$e Griffin ,entions <ernher 1on Braun+ He %ne1er ,entions concentration ca,p :ora' 6Griffin 7708 e1en thou$h ,any sur1i1ors recall seein$ hi, there ,ultiple ti,es+ He #as the -esi$nin$ en$ineer of that specific site, so ho# coul- he possi.ly not (no# a.out the horri.le thin$s that #ere $oin$ on thereH Ho# coul- anyone ,iss the %.o-ies #aitin$ to .e pic(e- up .y truc(s an- ta(en to the o1ens of Buchen#al- 4C5 pile- hi$h ne0t to the entrance to the tunnels' 6Griffin 7708H )his is the part of his ,e,ory that has .eco,e halfGlit+ Braun ,ost li(ely represse- the ,e,ories of :ora .ecause of ho# horri.le it #as an- the $uilt that he felt for not helpin$ the in,ates+ Braun is Griffin"s e0a,ple of ho# not only the prisoners represse- their ,e,ories of the Holocaust, so -i- ,any of the people in char$e+ Iust as Griffin focuses on the interconnecte-ness of e1eryone, no ,atter ho# unrelate- they are, she also ,entions ho# the connections that you ha1e #ith the people #ho are closest to you affect you the ,ost+ !he -oes not focus on this aspect of relations proportionately, .ut instea- e,phasi@es the i,portance of people #ho are not -irectly or o.1iously influencin$ each other"s li1es+ )his is possi.ly .ecause of its lac( of o.1iousness, an- .ecause it is a ne#er i-ea for the ,a/ority of people that nee-s e0plainin$ an- supportin$ in a.le to .e .elie1e- .y the rea-ers+ )hat -oes not chan$e the fact that the closer you are #ith so,eone, the ,ore influence they ha1e on #ho you .eco,e, #hich places ,ore e,phasis on the parentGchil- relationship than any other for,e- throu$hout so,eone"s life+ Aost a.use occurs #ithin fa,ilies, therefore represse,e,ories an- their effects on the $reater population are partially -ue to ho# a chil- is raise-+ If the in-i1i-ual cannot cope #ith their past, then they lash out to people arounthe,+ epresse- e,otions effect people"s -ecisions i,,ensely, #hich lea-s to the

J Keyes $reater ,atri0 .ein$ ne$ati1ely affecte- .y the e1il choices ,a-e .y those #ho are una.le to reali@e an- -eal #ith their a.usi1e pasts+ )here is a 2uestion that arises fro, Griffin"s essay that I -o not ha1e e0perience enou$h to ans#er+ :oes the failure to cope #ith ne$ati1e aspects of your chil-hoo- really lea- to .a-, possi.ly e1en e1il, -ecisions in your futureH

K Keyes <or(s CiteGriffin, !usan+ %&ur !ecret'+ Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers+ Boston, AA: Be-for-L!t+ Aartin"s+ 200J+ 2KKG7=F+ Print+ Krin$, Ann et al+ Abnormal Psychology. Ho.o(en, EI: Iohn <iley M !ons+ 200F+ 1F1G 1J0+ Print+

Ac(no#le-$e,ents I #oul- li(e to than( ,y psycholo$y teacher, Professor !ny-er, for spar(in$ the i-ea of relatin$ Griffin"s #or( to repression throu$h her lectures in class+ I #oul- also li(e to than( !arah for e-itin$ ,y essay in class+ >astly, I o#e ,uch to Professor Farrell for conferencin$ #ith ,e a.out ,y paper an- $ui-in$ ,e throu$h the process of #ritin$ this essay+