The Theme Of Abuse In Tara Westover's 'Educated'

Abuse in any form can often have differing effects on its victims, and sometimes people do not understand how horrible the moments they went through were until they can escape their abuser. In the novel Educated by Tara Westover, Shawn physically and emotionally abuses Tara to feel powerful until eventually, Tara realizes the detriments of their relationship once she takes a step back from her family and obtains a new perspective on life.

Throughout the memoir, Shawn’s abuse takes a toll on Tara as she matures and is trying to find herself. When Shawn claimed he had heard rumors about Tara around town and told their parents she was a whore, Tara wrote in her journal, ''It's strange how you give the people you love so much power” (Westover

Tara knows she is unable to free herself from the grasp Shawn has on her because she has become used to it, and she sees Shawn as someone to look up to. Taras's view of Shawns' manipulative ways leads her to believe that she is the one in the wrong when it is the exact opposite. Shawn also fuels his ego and desire for control by manipulating people in his life like Sadie (his girlfriend). Tara often witnesses their interactions and his cruelty towards her for example, Shawn would use the term fish eyes when referring to Sadie explaining, “Yup fish eyes, they're dead stupid fish. They're beautiful, but their head is as empty as a tire” (107). Eventually, Shawn also uses this term to refer to Tara, leading her to realize how similar she is to Sadie in Shawns’ eyes. He uses the name “fish eyes'' as well as "whore" to put Tara down and make her feel

When Tara is trying to imagine herself living in Cambridge she states, “I couldn't picture the girl in the whirling black gown without seeing that other girl. Scholar or whore. Both could not be true” (Westover 241). Shawn's words hold Tara back in as she progresses in life and make her question her worth. She is only able to tolerate negative criticism while she questions people's motives anytime they show even a little kindness towards her. She is held back by the actions of Shawn and how her loved ones treated her in the past. Throughout the rest of the book, Tara is haunted by her brother even though she has escaped his wrath by moving to college. She sees her younger self in a mirror who was numb to Shawn's abuse. For example, she would look at herself in the same mirror saying, “ She could handle this” (287) or "she would not be hurt like I was” (287). This specific element of the memoir displays the dissociation Tara experiences in an attempt to cope and deal with the reality that is her life until she is given a chance to look back on what she has been through. Tara's belief that her 16-year-old self could handle Shawn's wrath while her older self was unable to began to negatively affect her mental stability. In the future, she was unable to see the effects of their relationship due to the suppression of his acts. As Tara