Analyse af Margaret Murphys 'Low Visibility'

No one wants to be hurt, beaten or made to feel inferior. Relationships should be equal and without any form of hierarchy especially not including violence. Although in many relationships this is not the case. Woman in such relationships stay put, spite the violence. Women tend to appear invisible and don’t speak unless informed. This is with out doubt due to the fear woman carry in violent relationships. Their fear keeps them from escaping, but fortunately, some women find a way out. In this short story “Low Visibility” by Margaret Murphy (2008) this topic is dramatically demonstrated through violet acts both mentally and physically in a relationship, and yet even though they have reached the very bottom, hope can still bring them back their spirits and rights.

The main character of this short story is Laura. But through the story she is mentioned as a; “she”. We do not hear her name before the last sentence of the story. “Laura is unharmed” (s.12 – L. 179). Laura lives with her husband John “John is watching TV, one hand on the remote control, the other on her thigh. She keeps very still”(S.1 – L.1). Already on the first line we get an insight in that they are romantically involved. It also clearly shows us that John has complete of Laura. John and Laura’s relationship is in many ways an example of an unhealthy relationship that includes hierarchy, violence and fear. “He slaps her with the back of his hand, his knuckles bruising her cheekbone” (P. 10 – L. 84-85). This is an example of the violence that Laura deals with, but it hasn’t always been like this, Laura hasn’t always been unhappy; ”once she was a girl who could set a room to laughter” (P. 8 - L. 19) She used to have a spirit, she was lively and exited, but the violence in the relationship has changed her dramatically. John has squeezed out the joy of her, and has resulted in none left. John has made her insubstantial, and caused her to be an afraid, trembly woman. “She is wordless, stripped of language, of the liberty of expression. She doesn’t know the right thing to say, because he changes the rules each time. So she says nothing. It’s safer – less painful.” (P.9 – L.42-44). Laura is an afraid woman. She is living in fear.