Amy answers “This book is disgusting to me. I do not...”

Patricia Barry asked this question about Educated:

This book is disgusting to me. I do not understand why an educated and worldly individual would have difficulty understanding the horrible and violent upbringing that she experienced. It is unbelievable to me that she could not understand the violent situation, yet uneducated upbringing she endured. I have completely misunderstood her manner of education in a life in our country, in this country, how is this possible?

Amy I think you've missed the point entirely. Perhaps you even skimmed the book a bit and missed how isolated she was from mainstream culture?

Before Tara…moreI think you've missed the point entirely. Perhaps you even skimmed the book a bit and missed how isolated she was from mainstream culture?

Before Tara Westover's education, she accepted the insanity and abuse in her life as normal. She knew nothing else and therefore had nothing to compare it against. Once out of the situation and able to come to terms with her experience versus all the experience of history and what she'd learned, Westover finally began to realize her experience was decidedly abnormal and wrong. And, once she began to grasp that, she saved herself step by step.

Having said all that, it's not unusual for those who ARE educated and who DO have comparisons all around them to accept the abuse they've been raised in as 'normal' and somehow caused by some flaw or fault in them. I'd suggest your read a bit more about the psychological and sociological effects of abuse and brainwashing on people. You'll find it eye-opening, I hope.

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