Genre 3: Multiple Perspective Genre
This genre, through a character map, seeks to explore how both a setting and a traumatic event reveal family loyalties and tenacity. The junkyard where Tara and her siblings work with scrap metal and old cars is one of many family businesses. This junkyard serves as are more than just the family business, but a place where Tara endures physical and emotional abuse from her brother, Shawn. The junkyard is a pivotal setting in the book as it serves as a place where Tara learns her home is not a place of safety and security as she was led to believe. The abuse she endures at the hands of Shawn carry ripple effects on Tara’s life far beyond the boundaries of the junkyard as it impacts her relationships with her family members severely. Tara chooses to open up and be truthful about this abuse she endured and as a result, her relationships with her family members suffer. Instead of listening to Tara her family decides to protect her abuser and accuse her of lying despite telling the truth. Essentially, her family continues to tenaciously and blindly follow one another in their lies rather than confront the truth of the situation. Furthermore, her sister, Audrey, endured this abuse too but chooses to lie to protect Shawn rather than protect herself. This moment suggests a pivotal theme of the narrative that family is much more important than the individual. Consequently, Tara’s relationship with her family members grow increasingly estranged as Shawn’s relationship with the family strengthens. This is an important event as it is the first time that Tara begins to grow distant from her family as she chooses truth over ignorance and lies, while her family still steadfastly holds true to their skewed beliefs. The two character maps below visually depict how relationships changed after Tara exposes the truth about Shawn’s abusive behavior.