Summary Of Shackles By Malaika Cohen

This essay explores the story of Malaika Cohen and her account of experiencing and overcoming domestic abuse. In her book “Shackles” Malaika describes various forms of domestic abuse from life as a young child with a controlling Mother and a physically abusive Father which continued into her adult romantic relationships. It will highlight the changes to legislation since Malaika was a victim and how the meaning of domestic abuse has changed over the years. It will also take a look at behaviour patterns of children who grow up in a household with an alcoholic and how this can impact future relationships. Domestic abuse is often diagnosed under the banner of “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”, this essay will look how this can have a negative impact

The narratives are: Restitution where the patient describes their situation as being temporarily ill, they are on the road to recovery and will soon be better with the help of prescribed drugs or advice from a doctor or physician. The Quest narrative is where a patient wants their story to be heard and in particular “afford the ill person as teller of their own story” (Frank, 1995 p115). Finally there is the Chaos Narrative which Malaika has adopted in the majority of her story. Frank described this narrative as “opposite of restitution -its plot imagines life never getting better” (Frank, 1995 p97) and this is a reality that predominantly influences her writing. Malaika demonstrates this narrative through various statements that are said during her account of her abuse. For example: During the fall of the Berlin Wall, Malaika marries her first husband, within days of making this decision she has regrets, the abuse she suffered as a child with her violent Father and controlling Mother meant that she never developed an identity of her own and she describes the new life that was emerging in Germany as a way out that had come too late: “a new, different way of life had suddenly become open to our people and it was too late for me! “Why, JUST WHY?” I screamed in silent agony.” The silent agony represents chaos “how

The answer is easy – I didn't know he was abusing me. Leslie goes on to explain to the audience the things her husband did to her concluding with “I never once thought of myself as a battered wife: Instead, I was a very strong women, in love with a deeply troubled man” . There are many similarities in both Malaika and Leslie's story including the pattern of manipulation and seduction. Olivier appears as a knight in shining armour come to rescue Malaika from her violent husband and horrible parents, he offers safetly by taking her away, encouraging her to leave her job and move to France where he will take care of her. Leslie meets her husband on the bus and he spends the first few months of their courting in awe of her, he later follows the same pattern as Olivier by moving her away from family and friends and beginning the process of isolating her. The differences are their reasons for staying. Malaika's narrative is one of chaos and helplessness, Leslie is a strong women who has created a similar process of denial with a different narrative of excuses. What is iminent in both narratives is the loss of sense of self. The pattern of abuse by both Olivier and Leslie's husband