Gaslight Essay Trauma

When going through a horrific event, whether it be in an accident or getting over an abusive relationship, injuries are bound to happen. In this case, physical injuries are the first to be treated, being able to be seen by anyone. However, buried beneath the skin, emotional trauma can fester and make one’s own thoughts detrimental to themselves. And without any physical symptoms, this can be left untreated for years, even a person’s whole life. For this reason, it is agreed by many that emotional trauma is worse than physical pain, affecting a person’s judgment and actions. Moreover, it can lead a person to form toxic relationships with abusers who take advantage of their need for comfort. This is what happens in the movie Gaslight (1944) where

It plays into the typical depiction of an emotionally abusive relationship and shows how important it is to address mental health and trauma. In Gaslight (1944), George Cukor highlights the dynamic of a toxic relationship and its correlation to a traumatic past, showing how unresolved trauma can make people susceptible to choosing poor partners, how abusers take advantage of their victim’s trauma for their own personal gain, how abusers control and manipulate the thoughts of their victims, and how difficult it is for victims to recognize the faults and break away from the relationship. When dealing with past trauma, people seek relationships that can fill that void which can be taken advantage of by abusers and lead to rash decisions. At an early age, Paula lost her only parental figure in her life, which is detrimental to a child’s

Brenda also mentions that “Unless someone in the family does the deep healing needed to break the pattern, the side effects of abandonment go unchecked. Fortunately, for many of us, loving male and female relatives have been there to step in and help fill gaps in our lives” (Wade, 2). Sadly, Paula is one of the very unfortunate few as she did not even have relatives who were able to help fill the gap that Brenda mentions, which is why Gregory was able to take advantage of her so easily. Never having the chance to know her parents and having her aunt die when she was young, Paula longs for the affection that she should have been given as a child and looks for that in her romantic relationship. This leads her to Gregory, who is aware of this and takes advantage of her loneliness. Abusers, like Gregory, prey on those who are weaker than them to fulfill their own needs, emotionally or physically, and they, selfishly, use any means to get what they want, even if it means hurting the other