Two Sisters, One Traumatic Past: I Will Follow You

I Will Follow You addresses two sisters facing a lot of predicament which they experienced from an early age. The flashbacks in the story explain encounters between Carolina and Savvie at the age of 11 and 10, respectively, which massively influenced their lives. The flashback technique of the narrative interrupts the chronological sequence of events interjecting the ordeals experienced with Mr Peter, who abused and molested the two sisters. Gay has a stable friendship with other women, which helps in showing women supporting each other in I Will Follow You. Savvie and Carolina stick together under challenging moments finding debauchery, joy, and solace with each other.

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Most of the time, women are perfect towards other women (NPR Staff). Savvie helped Carolina at the court when she experienced some sort of attack. Savvie says, "I helped her out of her skirt and her underwear. I washed her clean as best I could with dispenser soap and paper towels." (Gay 18). After testifying in court, Carolina had an anxiety attack that caused her to be numb, and she wet herself. Savvie went to her and helped her in the Judge's restroom. Gay's psychological acuity in creating Savvie and Carolina focuses on their teeming dissonance and attractive self-awareness. Even after being defiled for three months with several men, they stick together and help each other in tough situations. At the police station, the two women were brave enough to watch the video recording of what Mr Peter did to them and relived that moment yet again.

Gay's understanding of the workings of a woman in the world resulted in creating a scenario where women come together to help each other. I Will Follow You develops from the writings of Gay on rape culture, women bodies and feminism. With paradox consistently recurring, the thin women bodies and degradation of the two sisters after their time in captivity and sexual molestation demonstrate her complicated struggles to face her body, acceptance of how it is and everything it has endured and desire to change. In the narrative, when the parents of the sisters came to see them at the hospital, "They said we looked so thin." (Gay 9). Their body size is attributed with lack of enough food, money to take care of themselves and incessant sexual molestation.

The austere style of writing communicates the strain of confronting her weight and changing life. Gay comprehends very well a broader culture refusing to acknowledge fat bodies and restraints need to demonstrate the lights encountered within it. While addressing unwieldy issues, including sexual violence and trauma, the lessons are numerous, and the endings are challenging to describe as a destination. Gay tends to be a private person with the fear of expressing her deepest concerns and realities. After being presented with the letter from Mr Peter in prison, the two sisters experience fear of harm coming to them. The purpose of the message is to demonstrate the changed man in Mr Peter, but his knowledge of their apartment is terrifying, making them feel very exposed; hence Carolina decided to go away from home. Savvie says, "You brought us here to hide." (Gay 20).

The depiction of devious males in I Will Follow You does not relate to her family. Gay's father and brothers are amazing, which allows her to focus on difficult men making horrible decisions in the lives (NPR Staff). Her obsession of exploring bad men describes the Mr. Peter as an inhuman and sadistic individual. The rape and defilement of the two young girls displays how an older individual relatively the same age as their father takes advantage of two little girls. The conflict between human nature and sadism is significantly addressed in evaluating the actions of Mr Peter and his friend. A married man with two sons holds captive two girls opposite his own home and does despicable things to them. The narrative explains that "Mr. Peter couldn't` resist two beautiful little girls. Mr Peter wanted us so bad he couldn't help himself." (Gay 21). The horrible decision Mr Peter made in taking the girls and sexually violating them leads to life imprisonment.

Gay tries to create a form of light at the end of the tunnel after Mr Peter repents, finds God and seeks forgiveness for the girls. Additionally, Gay explores the sort of danger associated with who you trust, who to turn to when you have no idea of a predator and who offers promises (NPR Staff). When Carolina is asked why Darryl, she says, "I'd be no good to a really good man and Darryl isn't really a bad man." (Gay 6). She also added on her reason to return to Darryl as, "I know who he is. I know exactly who he is. I need to be around someone I understand completely." (Gay 10). Concerning who you trust, Carolina unconditionally believes and relies on Darryl due to her fear of Mr Peter, who is up for parole and knows their home address.

Works Cited

Gay, Roxane. "I Will Follow You." Difficult Women, Grove/Atlantic, 2017.

NPR Staff. "Roxane Gay on Good Men, Bad Men And 'Difficult Women'." NPR.org, 4 Jan. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/01/04/508200086/roxane-gay-on-good-men-bad-men-and-difficult-women.