This is chilling - very different from most interpretations of Steve's relationship with his parents but no less upsetting. The constant repetition of "There are rules..." and the condescension his father displays, the arrogance with which he believes himself to be better than everyone else... *shudder* Poor Steve.
(Psst, Mr Harrington, using a switch also means beating your child. Though that hypocrisy is not a surprise...)
Hey! I'm sooooooooo happy the chill I was feeling when writing this came across. It felt actually stifling and terrible while I wrote these parts and I'm glad it worked out to the readers as well.
And heck yes, that hypocrisy was chosen wisely because while not in real life, I've certainly read a lot of opinions about how "occasionally slapping the child" or "tanning their hide if they disobeyed, hahaha" is absolutely not the same as child-abuse ad it's so not violence if the child deserves the pain. And a lot of those opinions were coming from those who were sent out to gather the right rod they would then be beaten with. And those guys thought it was oh-so-funny, and they totally deserved it.
Which honestly boggles my mind and I'm really grateful that it does because it means I never got to feel the fear, apprehension, shame and feeling of powerlessness being physically punished leaves. So yes - poor Steve.
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sternenblumen Wed 01 Feb 2023 12:52PM UTC
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marlowe78 Wed 01 Feb 2023 01:49PM UTC
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