Bastard Out Of Carolina is a sad story. It is incorrect to blame any one person or thing for the abused that Bone suffered. Child abuse, verbal, physical, or sexuall is a common problem found throught families. In the case of Bone, as of many others, it is a cycle which is hard to break. Many times the mother, if there is one, along with the child are helpless against a seeming overpowerful male figure. It is the responsiblilty of any knowing adult, family or not, to see that the abuse ends.

In Bone's case, it was the respnosibilty of Anney to see that the abuse ended. Bone was not old enough to comprehend the severity of her abuse. She was the only adult who knew Bone was being abused. That fact that she had experience heartache in her prior marriage is not an acceptable excuse for allowing her daugheter to suffer.

It is easy to blame the abuser, Glenn in this situation. That i agree with. He should be punished severly. However he is not the only one at fault. The fact that abuse took place for so long is just as much Anney's fault as Glenn's. This is not a sweeping generalization. Every case of abuse is different, and the child is always the victim.