Stockholm Syndrome

[Dee]

By the end of the book, did anyone else get the feeling that the various women survivors were suffering from Stockholm Syndrome?

With the statements by Grace that Greta had contacted her to try and get her to help with Mrs Grant and Hannah's appeal with money and/or her future husband taking their case?

[Jessica]

Well really the women banded together during the original trial, where they all either appeared in person or sent letters in as testimony. It makes sense that they would continue to band together for an appeal. Grace just wants to move on now that she is innocent and has a husband, so she abstains. I don't know if it qualifies as stockholm syndrome. Who are the captors? Hannah & Mrs. Grant? It seems as though most of the women were drawn to them at the beginning, not that they won them over later.

[Dee]

while many people associate stockholm syndrome with a hostage type scenario, it can also take place in cases of extreme trauma (IIRC from my various psychology classes) - in this case, the explsion and ship sinking and then being stuck in the lifeboat

but they also banded together in the ship - when it came to making the decisions on who should be sacrificed to the sea and who could remain on the boat; there was also the scene where Grace felt Hannah/Mrs Grant pushing her, as if to send her over the side

there had to have been some semblence of a relationship/banding together prior to the trial - and if it didn't occur until the trial - then why no support for Grace - why only for Mrs. Grant/Hannah?

[Jessica]

Well Greta seemed to support Grace. Specifically when she pointed out the Grace never voted to kill Hardie. Overall though, I don't think there was as much support for Grace because they thought she was aloof. Also possibly because they blamed her for Mrs. Fleming's daughter being killed and were angry that she (allegedly) purchased her way onto the boat.