Clarissa's trauma and denial of death
In class as we discussed Clarissa's past trauma, Mr. Mitchell mentioned that when Clarissa was little, she witnessed the death of Sylvia, her sister. On page 76, Peter Walsh reflects on the impact Sylvia's death has had on her, saying, "her notion being that the Gods, who never lost a chance of hurting, thwarting, and spoiling human lives were seriously put out if, all the same, you behaved like a lady. That phase came directly after Sylvia's death -- that horrible affair. To see your own sister killed by a falling tree (All Justin Parry's fault -- all his carelessness) before your very eyes... was enough to turn one bitter." After Sylvia's death, Clarissa acted ladylike and behaved properly in the hopes of getting back at the Gods, although later she would come to believe there were no Gods and no one was to blame. I wondered why I hadn't noticed this at all while I was reading, and while part of it may have been due to a lapse in concentrati...