Family Dynamics

Katherine Thornton

Rachel's insecurities at the beginning of her relationship with Vincent branch from her damaged relationship with her family. Both of Rachel's parents died and she went to live with her sister. Rachel developed a relationship with the boy and eventually had sex with him. Rachel's sister was ashamed and shunned her. Rachel's sister saw this as Rachel giving herself away to this boy. Rachel was then forced to become a prostitute because she needed a way to support herself. Her lack of a father figure made it difficult for her to trust men. Unfortunately, this is not a trend of this time period, it is something that still happens today. Her unhealthy relationship with family caused her relationship to slightly struggle in the beginning. Family dynamics were very traditional in Europe in the late 19th century. The Father was typically took on the role of the breadwinner. It was a father's role to earn money to support the family. The mother stayed at home and took care of the family and household chores. Daughters were trained starting at an early age to fulfill the role of a woman in a household. Since Rachel's parents died and she lived with her sister, she didn't have the upbringing that society considered normal. Rachel had to work in order to trust Vincent and be comfortable with him.

Extra Links
http://www.localhistories.org/vicwomen.html
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/la/family.html