Childhood Trauma On Adulthood

Childhood trauma on adulthood In American society it is acceptable to say society has a big impact on our childhoods lives, and the way we were raised. In the two novels “Carol (The Price of Salt)” By Patricia Highsmith, and “God Help the Child” By Toni Morrison, we see different aspects on the effects of behavioral characteristics that were developed as a child persist into adult personality

In the novel “Carol (The Price of Salt)” By Patricia Highsmith we are given a point of view from the main character Therese, a lonely young woman who lived in New York City in the 1950s. We are first introduced to the main character Therese who has characteristics of being unconfident, indecisive, and very farouche, instead of speaking up in a conversation

In the 1950’s society was based upon the American dream an era where you had to have the perfect family the men worked, and the woman cooked, and cleaned the “perfect home”. Being lesbian was frowned upon in society, Homosexuals were only talked about in books where it would result in a horrible ending of them dying, what society wants people to think happens. The previous title of “Carol” was “The price of salt” which fit the theme of this novel, they had to pay a price to society of being lesbian, the salt is the spice Therese wants in her boring life (Carol). Being homosexual was rarely talked about because, everyone was frightened that society would react in a bashful, profound disapproval manner. “But that was nothing, nothing like what she felt for Carol. Was it love or wasn’t it that she felt for Carol? And how absurd it was that she didn’t even know. She had heard about girls falling in love, and she knew what kind of people they were and what they looked like. Neither she nor Carol looked like that. Yet the

“It’s not my fault. So you can’t blame me. I didn’t do it and I have no idea how it happened. It didn’t take more than an hour after they pulled her out from between my legs to realize something was wrong. Really wrong. She was so black she scared me. Midnight black, Sudanese black. I’m light- skinned, with good hair, what we call high yellow, and so is Lula Ann’ father. Ain’t nobody in my family anywhere near that color” (Page 3, Morrison). “I hate to say it, but from the very beginning in the maternity ward the baby, Lula Ann, embarrassed me. Her birth skin was pale like all babies’, even African ones, but it changed fast. I thought I was going crazy when she turned blue- black right before my eyes. I know I went crazy for a minute because once—just for a few seconds—I held a blanket over her face and pressed. But I couldn’t do that, no matter how much I wished she hadn’t been born with that terrible color” (Page 5, Morrison). In the eyes of American society, we are sure to believe that white skin always had an upper advantage compared to dark skin individuals. As much as we can make ourselves believe that racism does not exist anymore, we are completely wrong racism is buried right on the surface of American soil. Being dark skinned was not