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Circling the Sun


An intoxicatingly vivid portrait of colonial Kenya and its privileged ...
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What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

Created: 08/26/16

Replies: 7

Posted Aug. 26, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did this fiercely independent woman overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?


Posted Sep. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lorrainep

Join Date: 07/13/16

Posts: 26

RE: What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

Beryl had no obligation to Frank, she didn't request his financial help to cover her abortion.


Posted Sep. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
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donnac

Join Date: 03/26/14

Posts: 139

RE: What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

Even though I could have guessed it I was a little surprised by the lax attitude toward abortion that Beryl and her peers demonstrated. And the idea that Frank put up the money to pay for it, no questions asked, shocked me even more. But then Beryl felt an obligation to sleep with him and remain with him for period of time as a kind of repayment for the favor. But she could only put up with him for so long before he began to try to push her into things she didn't want to do. All of this was pretty interesting aspect of that era's social morés; more so than the partner-swapping.


Posted Sep. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
melanieb

Join Date: 08/30/14

Posts: 265

RE: What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

I thought Beryl did what she felt she had to do to move forward in her life. She saw her repayment effort as a necessary obligation and when the opportunity arose for Beryl to leave him she took it.


Posted Sep. 07, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barbm

Join Date: 02/04/16

Posts: 77

RE: What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

The fact that she is described as fiercely independent rings false to me in this situation. She just prostituted herself in my opinion...right or wrong is up to her soul. I guess she figured the partner switching was over the line. Everyone has a limit!


Posted Sep. 12, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
juliaa

Join Date: 12/03/11

Posts: 276

RE: What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

I agree with Barbm that Beryl's "obligation" to Frank was inconsistent with her fierce independence. She wasn't even the one who asked him to pay for the abortion; that was done on her behalf. She likely overcame the cognitive dissonance by rationalizing that she was doing what she had to do in order to move forward with her life. In many ways, she was as selfish and self-centered as her own mother. She was a survivor, but many of her choices, like this one were to my mind questionable. I do realize that this account of Beryl's life is, according to the author, fictionalized, but still, I as a reader felt there seemed to be a basis in fact for much of what is narrated, and I had hard time working up any sympathy for Beryl in this situation.


Posted Sep. 12, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
nancyh

Join Date: 06/25/13

Posts: 347

RE: What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

I agree that Beryl should have felt no obligation to Frank. She gave up some her independence by doing so. It could be she was feeling a little depressed during this time


Posted Oct. 16, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barb23703

Join Date: 10/04/15

Posts: 102

RE: What did you think about Beryl's obligation to Frank? How did she overcome her cognitive dissonance about what she owed him?

It seemed to me that Beryl fell into her role as companion to Frank, just as she had every other role she walked into after she began participating in the ruling society. I found it sad to see Beryl behaving like one of them, yet knowing she was the brunt of their gossip. It seemed that with Frank, she was almost trying to build a life - first from obligation and then because he had good manners and bought her nice things. But it was good to see her rediscover herself and her independence when she got to the place where his true nature appeared.


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