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irishasky
irishasky
Student
College - Senior

In Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, What are Elaine's traumatic experiences? Was she traumatized by her first husband? How?

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Posted by irishasky on Sunday July 15, 2007 at 4:30 AM and tagged with cat's eye, jon, marriage life.

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  1. jamie-wheeler Teacher
    College - Sophomore

    eNotes Editor

    At the age of eight, Elaine moves to Toronto where she is mercilessly picked on by other girls, effectively ruining her self-esteem.  As a result, she begins to develop obsessive-compulsive behaviors, like biting her nails and picking skin off her feet (not exactly endearing her to her tormentors).

    Later, she develops some thicker skin and marries Jon, after becoming pregnant.  I don't know if  Risley is "traumatized" in the same measure as she was as a child, but her brief marriage, characterized by vicious arguments, certainly didn't help. 

    Sources:
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    Posted by jamie-wheeler on Sunday July 15, 2007 at 4:48 AM