Generations

. "Generations" by Ninotchka Rosca

I found this story to be tragic. Misery seems to be hounding the family in this selection, from Old Selo down to his granddaughter. I felt no shred of sympathy for the father, as he was a pathetic excuse for a man. Showing neglect for the family, he beat up his wife, and instead of spending time with his family, he got drunk and got into trouble with the soldiers as a result. After being freed from the barracks, he probably knew that his daughter was raped (after all, he saw a bruise on her left thigh), or, at least, that an untoward incident happened to her. A good father would be enraged - and that might even be an understatement. Instead, he pretended not to notice the bruise, and not even displayed the least bit of concern for her plight. No wonder his daughter had the final straw and killed him. I'm not condoning what she did, but given the things she had gone through, I think I could understand why she decided to put an end to things.

The females in the story were pitiful - a grim reflection of several females of the past, and even of the present. The mother was the submissive type, who could hardly defend herself against her abusive husband, and yet couldn't bear to leave him. The daughter was a bit more feisty than her mother, but she still ended up being a victim to lecherous men. I was disturbed and horrified that she paid for her father's freedom with her body. Such a young girl didn't deserve to go through the physical, psychological and emotional trauma of rape. As the girl's grandfather described her, she could have a bright future, but now her hopes of ever having a better life have probably been crushed. I can't imagine what pain and torture she must have gone through.