The Names

Knapp names her protagonist Cora, as she is “the core of the story” (330). Although the novel focuses on the unfolding lives of her children, particularly her son, it is Cora’s initial decision over her son’s name that drives the plot. Introducing her as a young mother, the story spans her life from the age of 18 to 68. A former ballet dancer, Cora is Irish but left her homeland to train as a dancer at the age of 14. The text implies that she met and married Gordon at a vulnerable point in her life when her injuries were likely to end her ballet career.

Cora is central to Knapp’s exploration of The Effects of Domestic Abuse. Insights into her thoughts and character build an intimate portrait of the harm done by psychological and physical maltreatment. The novel demonstrates how Cora is constantly alert to danger, monitoring her husband’s unpredictable moods, and developing survival strategies designed to keep herself and her children safe. Suppressing her own needs, she appeases and mollifies Gordon Sr. to curtail his cruel and violent outbursts. At the same time, Cora experiences guilt and self-doubt.