Royal Beatings

In this story, I think that the character, Rose, is a victum of Flo's lies. Flo, her stepmother, is someone that her father's will automatically listen to in times of conflict. Her father silences Rose and refuses to hear what she has to say. The only voice he hears, is Flo's angry remarks towards Rose. I think that Flo, having years of built up anger towards her life, lashes out a Rose.

Flo, like Rose, is also a victum in this story. She is a victum of her own anger. She is angry because she entered into a life she didn't want. In the story, Flo tells Rose that she is is the ONLY reason she is here; she sacrificed her life to be with Rose. This lets the reader know that, if Flo told Rose that, there may be some negativity that she has towards her life. Also, in addition to this anger, is fear. In the story, after she gets Rose's father to deal with her, she is quickly apologetic that she disturbs her husband from work. After Rose's beating, Flo and her father have a fight. From this, the reader gets a sense of power that Rose's father has over Flo. As we read, we also get the sense that Flo is fearful because she distracted him while he was working and is afraid of what he might do to her.