"IDENTICAL" reading response #3

     As you know, I've been reading the book "Identical" by Ellen Hopkins, and I've already written two responses to it. I've been talking a lot about how the elements of denial and isolation have been making the two main characters in my book go crazy. But now, I want to push aside the factors of denial and what not, and focus more on this whole isolation theme (meaning not telling anyone what's really going on at home). I'm not talking about how they're going insane because of it, but more like zooming in on the reasons why they keep to themselves, why they won't seek help from anyone. This also goes for all people, and it is one of the characteristics of human nature in general.
      Kaeliegh is the character that I want to focus on. She is the younger twin and has been abused several times by her father, both sexually and physically. But, she wont tell anyone. That gave me an idea for a response.
      Why don't kids tell people when they're being abused by their parents, or anyone for that matter? Usually,  it can be because they love and want to protect their parents, but in this book since both the sisters despise their father and want him in jail, I don't think that's the reason. These characters don't want to confess what's going on because they're self concious, fake, and tired of complication. I think that being tired of drama and sorrow means a lot. To not only these two characters, but also to other people facing this issue. Being abused is a sickening thing, and it's not a light topic for anyone, especially kids who are actually having this happen to them. I don't even have to be reading this book to know that being abused is complicated and has a negative influence on life. But when you're out in places like school, in my characters' situations, it seems they don't want to deal with it. They want to be happy.
      And, I do believe that every human being on this planet secretly has the desire to be happy, whether it's with riches, or love, or power, we all want it. I'm starting to realize that the reason my characters don't want to tell anyone at school is because letting people inside the horrors they've experienced would almost be like connecting their terrible home life to school, which is one place they can be normal. For 7 hours, 5 times a week they get to pretend. They get to become normal, and not have to deal with the fact that they're abused. They get to be happy, fulfilling the need everyone craves. It also connects to the denial factor I mentioned before. They pretend, and I think that's one of the many interesting ways I could answer my question because, once they reveal what's going on, everything will change and they're afraid that the one place they wont have to deal with all the complications of being abused will be gone, dispersed and mixed into their home life because it is true. Once word gets out, people will be concerned, feel sorry for them and try and be extra comforting which will just remind them over and over about their problems, like the abyss of thoughts and emotions nagging over and over. The lies they store inside will then become reality, and these two characters don't want to deal with it.
       They want to keep pretending.