Jane, like Celeste, stops short of identifying as a victim.
Saxon Banks violently sexually assaulted and attempted to strangle her, yet she is apparently more affected by the lasting impact of his words and her fears that their child may grow up to be violent as well. She wonders why his words had so much of an impact on her and ponders whether sexism and patriarchy have played a role in this:
“Why did I feel so weirdly violated by those two words? More than anything else that he did to me, it was those two words that hurt. ‘Fat.’ ‘Ugly.’” … “I mean a fat, ugly man can still be funny and lovable and successful,” continued Jane. “But it’s like it’s the most shameful thing for a woman to be.” (205)
Saxon Banks violently sexually assaulted and attempted to strangle her, yet she is apparently more affected by the lasting impact of his words and her fears that their child may grow up to be violent as well. She wonders why his words had so much of an impact on her and ponders whether sexism and patriarchy have played a role in this:
Do you agree with her? Why or why not?