Mary's Role In The Precious Family
Roles were a primary commitment in Precious family. The family state of equilibrium (homeostasis) consisted of Precious being the subject of abuse and not speaking up about it. She was supposed to take the violence and not react against the ones who condoned it. This was seen when Mary asked Precious to cook her some food because she was “starving.” Precious quietly said something and her mother responded with “did you say something” and precious stayed quiet. Mary continuously showed that she was the dominant figure in the house and that Precious had to do what she said by making her eat the dinner she cooked when she was not even hungry (negative feedback loop). That moment was an indicator that Precious should go back to her place as the subject of her
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Precious family life stressors included past and present issues known as vertical stressors (Gladding, p. 66). According to Gladding, vertical stressors include poverty, violence, genetic makeup (obesity), and ignorance which are seen throughout the interactions Precious has with her direct family (p. 67). Mary has been holding to the past and the present situations as she causes harm to precious. Because Precious “stole” Mary’s man since the first type he raped her, she was lashed out against Precious her entire life. The violence gets very intense after Mary sees the second child precious gave birth to. She said “he looks like his father” and threw the child on the floor as she tried to take her anger out on her own daughter. Her own mother throws a television to try and kill her daughter and the newborn child because Precious had taken her man. The film portraits a family that their only known interaction is of physical and verbal abuse. However, the known rule is to not show what is happening in the household when the mandated social worker/welfare worker checks on the family
Precious family life stressors included past and present issues known as vertical stressors (Gladding, p. 66). According to Gladding, vertical stressors include poverty, violence, genetic makeup (obesity), and ignorance which are seen throughout the interactions Precious has with her direct family (p. 67). Mary has been holding to the past and the present situations as she causes harm to precious. Because Precious “stole” Mary’s man since the first type he raped her, she was lashed out against Precious her entire life. The violence gets very intense after Mary sees the second child precious gave birth to. She said “he looks like his father” and threw the child on the floor as she tried to take her anger out on her own daughter. Her own mother throws a television to try and kill her daughter and the newborn child because Precious had taken her man. The film portraits a family that their only known interaction is of physical and verbal abuse. However, the known rule is to not show what is happening in the household when the mandated social worker/welfare worker checks on the family