e.c.

1What did the performance suggest might be the underlying dynamics that lead to domestic violence? What are some dynamics that might support/allow domestic violence, as shown in the performance?

I felt that the performance as a whole suggested that the fundamental principles that push a relationship to become more and more abusive are control and silence/not doing anything. It seems like control gets the figurative ball rolling that makes the relationship abusive and silence from others allows the ball to pick up speed. I felt that the boyfriend got progressively more and more abusive and what allowed him to continue was the fact that no one stopped him, he was able to verbally abuse his girlfriend and no one told him not too. By the time someone did stand up and tell Janet they were worried it had already gotten to the point where the boyfriend had people spying on her.

The dynamics that allow and permit a relationship to be abusive are similar to those that start it in the first place. I think that what makes domestic violence possible in these relationships is inequality. There was a lack of balance in power between the two participants of the relationship, the boyfriend had much more control and much more say than the girlfriend and I believe that as he got used to the control he felt like he needed more, so he took more and that is what supported his ability to control and treat Janet the way he did.

3Address another aspect of the performance and/or discussion that you'd like to explore or analyze.

One aspect of relationships that i think was widely overlooked was the fact that relationships overlap. All the different characters that centered around the same girl showed a different view of the situation and they all wanted different things. They had different stakes in their relationship with Janet and when they clashed they ended up fighting. For example the father wanted to be trusted by his daughter, he wanted her to confide in him but in doing so she would have to loosen her relationship with the abusive boyfriend, and it ended up with the father being pushed away further from his daughter. The play showed that in overlapping relationships there is only one that emerges with priority, not all the relationships are given the same worth.

This was also seen between Janet and the friend who wanted to talk to her in the library, he wanted to help her and use his relationship as a friend to reach his goal, which was to get her out of the abusive relationship but his want overlapped into the relationship between the abusive boyfriend and Janet and as a result two had to hide in a secret part of the library just to talk. One relationship clashed with another relationship, there were different needs/stakes by the participants and as a result either there was a fight or things had to be done in secret as opposed to in the open.

This idea is in some ways seen in all relationships even those that are not abusive, we all have different people in our lives, family, friends, associates and even in those groups there are sub sections (i.e. different groups of friends that are opposite from one another.) These different groups are all trying to pull us in their direction, trying to get us to satisfy their need for company or affirmation etc. So if you overlook the fact that the situation on the surface about an abusive relationship you can see that each one of the characters had different interests and concerns in their relationship with Janet. The play showed this varying need almost a competition between the characters that is almost universal.

4. Was this experience of watching the performance and discussing it afterwards valuable enough to be repeated next year? Why or why not?

I enjoyed watching the play and I'm glad i did it but I felt like the discussion was more thought provoking and more interesting. Overall i think it was good have performed because it helped apply the topics of the discussion like "should the kid have lost his scholarship just because he watched the video?" I did overall like the performance because it showed a lot about the characteristics of abusive relationships but it was in the beginning a little hard to follow. But overlooking that the plat was defiantly worth doing. Once i realized that were different characters each with a different perspective I was able to understand how the play was set up so the audience would be able to identify with a character and thus have a better understanding of the topic. Because of that i think the play and discussion were both beneficial and good ideas.