Abuse In Nicholas Sparks's 'Safe Haven'

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SAFE HAVEN “One in three women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime” (Nicole Kidman). Abuse has an effect on women that cannot be put into words. It makes women feel lost and ashamed. In their confusion they hide in their abuse without moving forward. In Nicholas Sparks’ novel Safe Haven the author demonstrates the importance of overcoming obstacles when being faced with abuse. Overcoming obstacles is tricky but there are 3 important steps involved, going through hardships, building new relationships, and defeating fears. The main character, Katie is faced with many hardships. She is physically abused by her husband so she tries to escape and fears being found. After moving Katie finds it difficult to trust others but ends up …show more content…

She defeats her fear of her husband, Kevin when she becomes strong enough to fight back against him. Katie goes through the steps of overcoming her obstacles over the course of the novel, showing women that are being abused there is hope and proof love heals all wounds.
Katie’s hardships make her struggle with feeling normal because the feeling is so foreign to her. Katie feels alienated in her community because she believes her trials make her unlike anyone else. Her trials include being abused, escaping, and the constant fear of being found. Abuse impacts Katie’s life in a negative way but has an important role in overcoming her obstacles. Katie’s husband, Kevin beats and threatens her so one would question how she could fall in love with him in the first place. Katie falls in love with Kevin because, “In the beginning he was so sweet to her… he was …show more content…

It may be tricky and tough but to move forward it is necessary. Katie must defeat her fears but can’t stop replaying her past in her head. The main focus of fear is from her husband, Kevin, but when she becomes strong enough she fights back and defeats him. Trusting others is difficult for Katie, especially in a new town where she doesn’t know many people. Katie ends up meeting little girl, Kristen, Her neighbor, Jo, and a store owner, Alex. Physical abuse, trying to escape and the fear of being found causes Katie to face many hardships throughout the novel. In Nicholas Sparks’ novel Safe Haven the author demonstrates the importance of overcoming obstacles when being faced with abuse. Safe Haven is not just a novel and it’s not just fiction. “One in three women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime” (Nicole Kidman). Overcoming obstacles and the process to overcoming those obstacles are very real. One in three women face these obstacles, meaning one in three women need help overcoming them. The mental impact abuse has on a woman’s mental health is astronomical and cannot be defeated alone. These woman need relationships and someone to lean on, they’re hurt and need comfort. Nicholas Sparks brings awareness to this cause and shows readers everywhere obstacles can be faced, it just takes going through hardships, forming new

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