Summary Of A Step From Heaven

In the article, “Alcohol Use and Abuse Statistics” states, “thirty-five percent of offenders were under the influence of alcohol in a case of an abuse” (Alcohol Use and Abuse Statistics - Alcoholism - Addictions). The abuser’s violent action affects the relationship between the family and the abuser’s significant other. The actions of the abuser affect their victim physical and mental state through control and victim blaming. A Step from Heaven by An Na depicts a Korean family experiences the life of an American immigrant. The adolescent narrator, Young Joon, describes the difficulty of the family migrating to the United States in hope of a better life. As Young Joon begins to get comfortable and make new friends, her family problems begin to arise and worsen. An Na correctly portrays an

A Step from Heaven by An Na correctly demonstrates an abuser who uses alcohol to escape the reality of the abusive actions. Young Joon comes home after studying at the library and finds her mother on the ground. She acknowledged that her mother was recently abused due to the condition of the room and her mother, Young Joon says, “I grab Uhmma's arm and help her onto the couch. When I turn on the lamp, Uhmma squints and turns her face away from the light. But not before I see her swollen eye. The coffee table is overturned, Korean newspaper strewn all over the carpet. The smell of Apa’s alcohol breath soaks the air” (Na, 97). When the author describes the room with the “overturned table” and the “alcohol breath”, she uses imagery to show the influence alcohol that Young Joon’s father was under. The described condition of the room helps build a picture of the abuse. Although many believe that alcohol is the cause of the abusive actions, but “in reality, some abusers rely on substance use and abuse as an excuse for becoming violent. Alcohol allows the abuser to justify his abusive