Black and Blue

Black and Blue

1. Why did Fran terminate her relationship with Bobby? What do you think enabled her to do so?

In the novel Black and Blue, Fran terminated her relationship with her husband Bobby because he was physically abusive towards her. Fran had started dating Bobby when she was just a bare age of nineteen years old. I feel when teenagers "fall in love" they fall hard and become attached too quickly. In the novel it said that Fran loved Bobby, but I feel it was more of the feeling about wanting to love someone than actually loving Bobby. Before Fran could make her decision to leave Bobby, it took her seventeen long years. She also suffered through a broken collar bone, a broken nose, and a really big broken heart. Another reason why I think it took Fran seventeen years to leave Bobby, because there was always a thought in the back of her mind that no matter how far she went or where she went, he would always find her. I think what finally enabled Fran to get away was Patty, because she made Fran realize that it would be the safest thing for her to do.

2. Describe Fran's personality characteristics. Was she the same person at the beginning and the end of the story? If not, how do you think she changed? What characteristics do you think may have played a role in her getting involved with Bobby in the first place? Which helped her leave?

In the beginning of the story Fran was independent. She attended nursing school and everyone said she was fun to be around. As with all abusive relationships, when Fran went with Bobby her independence slowly started to drift away. Bobby started becoming abusive in the very beginning of the relationship, while Fran would just keep everything to herself. Fran did not even tell her sister Grace, who is also her best friend. So she kept all of these things boggled up inside of her, having no one near to help her out, making her feel as if she was all alone. Fran was so intelligent and smart, but Bobby always knew how to push her buttons.

Some characteristics that I feel led Fran to end up with Bobby, was the fact that she always wanted the perfect life. Due to the fact that when she was a young child she moved around and she never wanted her family to have to do the same.

I think that a lot of Fran's decision to stay with Bobby was because she was so loving. She had such a loving/caring kind of attitude. For example she was a nurse, someone that is a nurse has to be loving and caring. This was a negative personality trait later in life for Fran, because she loved Bobby and that is why she put up with him being abusive for so long. Her personality changed throughout the novel, at first she was very outgoing and later