A Stolen Life by Jaycee Lee Dugard - 887 Words

Part A: A Stolen Life by Jaycee Lee Dugard is an autobiography recounting the chilling memories that make up the author’s past. She abducted when she was eleven years old by a man named Phillip Garrido with the help of his wife Nancy. â€Å"I was kept in a backyard and not allowed to say my own name,† (Dugard ix). She began her life relatively normally. She had a wonderful loving mother, a beautiful baby sister,, and some really good friends at school. Her outlook on life was bright until June 10th, 1991, the day of her abduction. The story was published a little while after her liberation from the backyard nightmare. She attended multiple therapy sessions to help her cope before she had the courage to share her amazing story. For example she†¦show more content†¦Also included within the story itself are pictures of her life before and after, as well as, pictures of her children, the backyard prison, and journal entries she wrote herself while held captive. Th ese add greatly to her ethos and credibility but also appeal largely to the reader’s emotions. They make the story that much more relatable. This is an absolutely gripping and emotionally heart wrenching story done in a perfect way. Part B: The memoir is set up, logically, in a mostly chronological order. However, there are a few times that the author veers off the path and inserts a present day passage in the middle. For example, she places reflections at the end of many of the chapters, one being right after she describes the first of many grotesque sexual abuses she endures. She writes â€Å" I had to stay in the same place I’d just been raped in†¦today that makes me feel terrible for that little naà ¯ve girl,† (D 33). This allows the reader to understand what her thoughts were. It shows insight into the reasons behind her reactions to the various horrors. The memoir is also written using narration, which is very appropriate for an autobiography. The only side the author truly knows is her own. She can only describe the thoughts of herself in great detail but can speculate of the thoughts of others based on their actions. These also allow the reader to journey through her experiences and g row with her as she ages. TheShow MoreRelatedPsychological Effects of Child Abuse Essay1237 Words   |  5 Pagesparent can confiscate the child’s belongings or force the children to strip down naked and be photographed as a form of punishment. Considering the types of abuse that these children experience, there are psychological effects that can affect their life as they get older. The effects of household abuse can extend outside the home and affect the child in their performance in society. â€Å"Children Exposed to Domestic Violence† states that children exposed to family violence can experience difficultiesRead MorePleading Insanity : Mental Illness2901 Words   |  12 Pagesthem exactly what she did. She also said that she had to be punished, and in result of her punishment Satan would be no more. She went to trial and pleaded insanity. After a long trail, she was found guilty of first degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison. According to Christopher Slobogin, in the sate of Texas the insanity defense is based solely on the McNaghten test, which proves ones sanity when murder is involved. Yates was never offered this test for her trial. Once Yates was in prison