"This ring I give you, in token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love." When reciting these vows to a loved one, an individual is committing oneself to a life long relationship which goes far beyond the lines of "dating." For many this can prove to be a promise that is not always easy to keep. Whether because of infidelity, violence, or other reasons, separated families affect more than just the couple in the relationship. In Karen Brennan's short story "Runaways," we observe how physical abuse and infidelity leads to a family's separation and the resulting destructive impact on family and friends.
Physical abuse in a relationship is a key factor of failing marriages. Lou's husband beats her so often, she is afraid to go to sleep. This is illustrated in Lou's statement, "The night before I left, I lay on the living-room couch with the front door ajar in case he came down in the middle of the night in one of his furies. I was afraid to go to sleep" (Brennan 583). In 1999, Roger Sider, M.D. wrote the article, "Living Together Risky for Young Women and Children," which talks about domestic violence and the risks undertaken by young women and children. In his findings he observes that the increase of domestic violence is a result of poverty, the easy availability of guns, alcohol and substance abuse, the glorification of violence in Hollywood, and the "macho" stereotype that equates masculinity with power, control, and domination (Sider). He also notes that one in every five women who are in relationships are assaulted. In Lou's case, she realizes that she cannot continue to fear going to sleep as she states, "this is no life" (583). Lou fights back in the beginning but she realizes what an unfair advantage her husband has over her.
Some marriages may seem like they are perfect until one realizes that their spouse is having some extramarital encounters. Infidelity often goes unnoticed.
