1. Ways out of guilt: --- Iris’s blaming on others

2. Iris is guilt-ridden Now I am coming to the part that still haunts me. Now I should have bitten by tongue, now I should have kept my mouth shut. Out of love, I should have lied, or say anything else: anything but the truth. (Diana Sweets, p595, after Laura says her purpose for coming back is Alex.) That was the whole story. Everything was known. It had been there all along, right before my very eyes. How could I have been so blind?( The Golden Lock, p611) Perhaps I should have stretched out my arms. I should have hugged her. I should have cried. Then I should have sat down with her and told her this story that I’m now telling you. But I didn’t do that. I missed the chance, and I regret it bitterly. (Brightly Shine the Moon, p533, after the argue with Aimee.) The death of Laura The ignorance of Laura’s being raped The death of Aimee

3. F or assigning her guilt and winning the sympathy of others, Iris tends to rationalize /justify what she have done, which makes her position shifts from a victim(the lost of her sister) to a victimizer. Making herself a victim Victim-blaming how? Iris Laura or others

4. “Victim-blaming” -- William Ryan “The conversation was taking a turn I hadn’t expected. I’d assumed I’d be consoling Laura, commiserating with her, hearing a sad tale, but instead she was lecturing me.” (592) “There it was, then, right out on the table. This was the cross- roads: either Laura had been mad, or Richard had been lying.” (592) “There was still room for doubt, but this time I believed Laura.” (593) “My newfound reliance on Laura’s sanity was crumbing: we were back in the realm of her loony metaphysics.” (594) “ I wanted to shake her….My finger itched with spite. I knew what had happened next. I’d pushed her off.”(595) Discontent Questioning annoyed attacking

5. More Victim-blaming examples Why does Iris need to---- recount the mental instability of Laura since her childhood? recount those events which Laura shows ungrateful? ……..and so forth

6. More examples of making herself a victim -------- Mentioning the quest( taking care of Laura) asked by their parents? talking about her being sold to Richard? repeating the mean attitudes Winifred toward her? Pointing the reason why she was ignorant to the death of her father/ Laura’s being sent to Bella Vista? ……..and so forth

7. ** Assigning the guilt ** winning the sympathy from others “Don’t blame yourself”, said Winifred, hoping I would do just that—if I blame myself enough, I wouldn’t get around to blaming anyone else.” (victory comes and goes, p612)

8. The End Thanks for your attention ^^