Lola And Paul: A Progression - Anouconda

Why do women marry their rapists?

Lola Quincey, 15, mature, in charge. This pubescent cousin of Briony and sister to the twins has since the divorce of her parents felt the need to further express her qualities of leadership toward the care of her younger brothers. Her innocent days are therefore insignificantly put last in the importance of matters concerning her family. Within her inhabits an egocentric quality in which no matters concern her except her own.

Paul Marshall, otherwise known as ‘The Chocolate Guy’ is a friend to Leon Tallis. His qualities are nonexistent, his faults, however, are numerous. Throughout the novel , he is presented as abnormal and nonsensical. He presents perverted attributes, making us doubt his sanity and brand him as a paedophile. He oftentimes sorely keeps to himself and lurks in the shadows. His piggish qualities come into play when he offers Lola a chocolate bar “Bite it,” he said softly. “You’ve got to bite it.”(59) we can see that his sexual desires are presented through this event.

“how deliciously self-destructive it would be, almost erotic, to be married to a man so nearly handsome, so hugely rich, so unfathomably stupid” (36) first impressions are significantly mandatory to a good relationship with a person. Cecilia’s first impression of Paul Marshall may lead us to notice how other characters may perceive him, especially how Lola an innocent teenager may acknowledge his presence. When the twins leave a note announcing their departure from the house a search party takes place meanwhile in the pitch black of night Paul takes advantage of a helpless young girl, Lola. This is not a new event however, he has previously raped Lola and we assume he forced her to present to those who ask that the scars and bruises were caused when her brothers abused her and beat her to a pulp. Whilst being questionned on this event Lola says “I couldn’t say for sure,” we however know that she does know and we start to realize the manipulation the young girl has been put through by her agressor. She identifies Robbie as a rapist and sexual predator after her herself having dealt with these issues simply with another man “How appalling for you. The man’s a maniac.” (34-35).

“Poor vain and vulnerable Lola, with the pearl-studded choker and the rosewater scent, who longed to throw off the last restraints of childhood, who saved herself from humiliation by falling in love, or persuading herself she had, and who could not believe her luck when Briony insisted on doing the talking and blaming. And what luck that was for Lola—barely more than a child, prized open and taken—to marry her rapist.” (260). In later chapters we see Lola once again, this time however married to her rapist. We begin to ask ourselves why ? Is it possibly because she wanted to preserve her dignity, she may feel that by losing her virginity through rape she has lost her value as a woman and the only person that will accept her for that is Paul Marshall, at the time men were valued more than women and those who were ‘unclean’ and ‘impure’ were considered ‘whores’ and ‘prostitutes’. Or did Stockholm Syndrome come into play? May Lola have realized her love for this man after many encounters with him in which she had no say in the matter. Women who have been raped often believe it to be their own faults: them being in the wrong place at the wrong time, being to provocative luring the rapist to believe she wanted it, this could lead to her feeling remorseful “Feelings of guilt and shame are common reactions following a sexual assault. Because of misconceptions about rape, some victims blame themselves, doubt their own judgment, or wonder if they were in some way responsible for the assault.” (http://www.911rape.org/impact-of-rape/self-blame-and-shame)

Works Cited

Atonement. Ian McEwan. 2001 http://www.911rape.org/impact-of-rape/self-blame-and-shame

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