Dolores Claiborne

Dolores segues into her discussion of Joe’s mistreatment of her and their children, his murder, and its aftermath. Their marriage began when Dolores was 18 and Joe 19. Even at that point, Dolores admits it wasn’t a loving marriage. The first thing that attracted her to Joe was his forehead, which she used to admire in high school study-hall. The two began dating and Dolores soon found herself pregnant. Without options and wanting to leave her childhood home, Dolores agreed to marry Joe, telling him she loved him because “it only seemed polite” (84).

Shortly after their marriage, though, Joe begins to beat Dolores. Dolores initially accepts her abuse as ordinary treatment, recalling that her father “used his hands on [her] Mum from time to time,” and referring to a husband’s violence against his wife as “home correction” (87, 90). In addition to the abuse, Joe also drinks excessively, although Dolores contends he wasn’t addicted to alcohol and instead used his supposed “recoveries” to help him find employment and gain sympathy.

Dolores eventually retaliates against her abusive husband by hitting him on the side of the face with a cream-pitcher. She threatens him with a hatchet and Joe threatens to kill her.