The Burning Bed, By Dr. Maya Angelou Essay - 2118 Words

Although abuse rarely happens just once in a relationship, it s more than likely to reoccur and escalate between the couples involved as the long term relationship progresses by the abuser to the victim. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience a severe physical violence (Domestic Violence, 2016). In regard to the repetitious acts of abuse one of my favorite famous quotes by Dr. Maya Angelou comes to mind said, â€Å"The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them (Philosiblog, 2013).† It sheds light on the dark behavior that could’ve eliminated the endurance of abuse, its cycle and pattern in the case of Francine Hughes. Cycle of Violence In the movie â€Å"The Burning Bed†, we get to see the cycle of violence acted out several times by Francine’s husband Mickey. Often times an abuser comes from a home of abuse which conditions them to implement the same behavior in their adult relationship. This is the initiation of the cycles of tension building stages that occurred (in Mickey’s case) (White, 2015). They are identified quite often while Mickey is using alcohol. Then again shown during any times of unemployment, or the announcement of or birth of a new child, these were all the tension building factors Mickey faced resulting to the explosive stage. The term explosive is used to define the next stage of the cycle of violence. This is the point in the cycle when the batterer releases his accumulation of stress by perpetrating violence against his partner in an act