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Essential Question: To what extent do generational cycles shape us? 

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Essential Question: To what extent do generational cycles shape us? 

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Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn focuses heavily on the impact that being caught in a generational cycle can have on a person, or in the case of this novel, Nick Andreas. Our students are involved in all types of generational cycles, whether they are good or bad, although this term typically has a negative connotation. Our students are also involved in a variety of relationships. This essential question invites students to investigate healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics, what makes a character redeemable or not redeemable, the origins of generational cycles, how they are created and perpetuated, and consider their own role in continuing or breaking these cycles, all through the lens of the novel. This essential question not only challenges students to think deeply about difficult topics through various mediums, but also allows them to reflect upon their own lived experiences and how they have shaped the person they are becoming.

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Generational Cycle

Restraining Order

Relationship/Parental Abuse

Victim

Isolation

Identity

Forgiveness

Redemption

Coming-of-age

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Contextual Research Topics and Interdisciplinary Areas

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Contextual Research Topics and Interdisciplinary Areas

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Interdisciplinary Areas and Research Topics:

Psychology: In a psychology class, students can expand upon the resources in this text set by investigating the impact that both prolonged and short-term trauma can have on an individual's brain chemistry. Research does suggest that trauma has the potential to cause neurochemical changes, difficulties with cognitive function, and overall alteration of brain composition in some regions.

Sociology: In a sociology class, students can investigate strategies for coping with trauma and how to help others around them that may be struggling.

Social Studies/History: In a social studies or history setting, students can investigate how gender roles and dynamics have changed over time. More specifically, they can investigate household dynamics between men and women and attempt to make connections between these trends and the treatment of characters in the given texts.

All of the interdisciplinary areas listed above could be adapted into research topics in an English classroom, using content learned in the other subject areas.

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Focal Text: Breathing Underwater By Alex Flinn

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Focal Text: Breathing Underwater By Alex Flinn

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Breathing Underwater is a stand-alone novel written by Alex Flinn in 2001. The story follows a high school boy named Nick Andreas as he navigates the aftermath of his violent behavior against his former girlfriend, Caitlin. On the outside, Nick portrays his life as that of a typical teenager. However, the story opens with Nick in a court-ordered anger management class following his allegations of relationship abuse and a newly filled restraining order. Through these classes and counseling, Nick begins to understand the origins of his violent behavior and the impact that it has on those who are close to him. Alex also relives and reflects his relationship with Caitlin, as well as reflects his upbringing, which includes an abusive father and a highly preoccupied and distant mother. This is a novel of introspection, redemption, and all too common harsh realities of complex relationships.

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Three Quotations from Breathing Underwater

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Three Quotations from Breathing Underwater

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1. Generational Cycles: “My father and I look alike. I don’t remember my mother much—she left when I was five—but I’m sure I don’t look like her. My dark hair and dimples come from my father’s gene pool sure as the baby lizards running across our garden path look like Papa Lizard humping on the hibiscus. Still, I search the mirror for differences, anything to avoid seeing him in myself. His eyes are bad enough. Those green eyes can do more damage than his fist, and I see them in my own eyes every day.”

2. Relationship Violence/Abuse: "Caitlin's solo was next. The song she sang was sexy, about love and meeting the man of her dreams. I felt every eye on her. Slut. I watched her face for some sign she meant me. Nothing. Not a glance my way. My neck muscles tightened. My eyebrows were frozen in position. My mouth paralyzed in a smile. The ungrateful bitch had betrayed me. I felt like shit, and it was her fault. All she wanted was to control me, use me. And I'd let her. I'd let her humiliate me, but this was the last time. She couldn't treat me like this."

3. Personal Growth: “It's about doing the right thing even if you don't want to do it. About taking responsibility for your actions...it's about letting go when you really, really want to hold on so bad.”

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Companion Text: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

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Companion Text: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

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There are many different types of traumatic generational cycles. However, a similarity between all of them is that they not only impact the person stuck closest to the cycle, but those that they care about are often affected as well. This happens in Alex's story and in Charlie's story. This novel follows Charlie as he begins high school and writes a compilation of letters to help him process all that he has been through. Charlie meets two senior students, Sam and Patrick, who teach him about true love and friendship through immense hardship. Over the course of the story, Charlie navigates his repressed memories of his aunt's abuse and faces the impact that it has on his complicated relationship with Sam, as well as the trauma of living amidst his parents' tense relationship, for which he blames himself. However, this coming-of-age companion novel is an excellent representation of the resilience required to break generational cycles and the beauty of the life that can come after.

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Three Quotations from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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Three Quotations from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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1. Generational Cycles: “You know...a lot of kids at school hate their parents. Some of them got hit. And some of them got caught in the middle of wrong lives. Some of them were trophies for their parents to show the neighbors like ribbons or gold stars. And some of them just wanted to drink in peace.”

2. Trauma: “We accept the love we think we deserve.”

3. Resilience: “So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

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This poem discusses the impact that an individual's past experience have on their present self, just as generational cycles can deeply impact how someone moves through their life. For example, Nick's experiences with his father shape how he moves through his relationship with himself and others. The poem discusses this idea through the metaphor of the experiences being like faded tattoos or bruises.

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Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive of POETRY magazine.

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All of these texts either directly or indirectly deal with the impacts of generational cycles and trauma and how they can shape a person and the web of people around them. Generational cycles of trauma are not necessarily related to relationships exclusively and the texts in this set reflect just some of the variety of cycles and impacts that exist. If this is meant to be a unit that has the potential to yield individual self-reflection for students, it is imperative that they are shown the range of cycles that can emerge and their impacts. For example, Breathing Underwater and The Perks of Being a Wallflower mainly discuss the impacts of generational cycles of abuse and trauma on a victim's romantic relationships and friendships. The song "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" discusses how generational cycles may impact a third party, while the song "Paul Revere" discusses the complexity of leaving these situations from a familial standpoint. "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid is similar in this way. "Tattoos" discusses these life events more broadly, but through a relatable metaphor. Finally, the "We Are Infinite" movie scene concludes this text set with a message of hope: we are not bound by generational cycles.

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Movie Clip: "We are Infinite" Closing Scene from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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Movie Clip: "We are Infinite" Closing Scene from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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This scene is an excellent representation of the freedom and joy that Charlie finds when he is beginning to heal from his trauma and break the cycles of abuse that he was stuck in. He is seeing and fully immersing himself in the beauty of the world around him for maybe the first time. In a text set that deals with so many difficult topics, the message of hope that this scene provides is critical.

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower (11/11) Movie CLIP - We Are Infinite (2012) HD

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Informational Text: Warning Signs of an Abusive Relationship

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Informational Text: Warning Signs of an Abusive Relationship

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Nick's patterns of abuse against Caitlin during their relationship are a focal point of Breathing Underwater. Providing students with a list of warning signs of this type of harmful relationship can help them recognize these behaviors during the flashback scenes in the book, but more importantly can give students an important resource to recognize these patterns if they begin to emerge in their own relationships or the relationships of those around them.

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Extreme Jealousy

Jealousy is a sign of insecurity and lack of trust, but the abuser will say that it is a sign of love. The abuser will question the victim about who they talk to, accuse them of flirting, or be jealous of time spent with their friends, family, or children. The abuser may refuse to let the victim work or go to school for fear of meeting someone else. The abuser may call the victim frequently or drop by unexpectedly.

Controlling Behavior

One partner completely rules the relationship and makes the decisions. This includes "checking up" on the victim, timing a victim when they leave the house, checking the odometer on the car, questioning the victim about where they go. They may also check the victim's cell phone for call history, their email or website history. The abuser may control the finances and tries to tell the victim how to dress, who to talk to, and where to go.

Quick Involvement

The abuser comes on strong at the beginning of the relationship, pressuring for a commitment and claims "Love at first sight" or "You're the only person I could ever talk to", or "I never met anyone like you before". Often, in the beginning of a relationship, the abuser is very charming and romantic and the love is intense.

Unrealistic Expectations

Abusers expect their partners to meet all their needs and be "perfect". They may say things like "If you love me, then I'm all you need".

Isolation

The abuser tries to keep the victim from friends and family by putting down everyone the victim knows, including their family and friends. They may keep the victim from going to work or school.

Blames Others

The abuser does not take responsibility for their problems, blaming others (usually the victim) for almost everything ("you made me mad").

Hypersensitivity

An abuser is easily insulted and takes everything as a personal attack and blows things out of proportion.

Cruelty to Animals or Children

The abuser may punish animals brutally or be insensitive to their pain. They may have unfair expectations of children or tease them until they cry.

"Playful" Use of Force of Sex

The abuser may throw or hold their partner down during sex, may pressure their partner into having sex, may demand sex when their partner is tired or ill or doesn't want to have sex. They may ask the victim to do things they do not want to do.

Verbal Abuse

The abuser says cruel and harmful things to their victim, degrades them, curses at them, calls them names, or puts down their accomplishments. The abuser tells their victims they are stupid, and unable to function without them. They embarrass and put down the victim in front of others as well.

Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde

The abuser experiences severe mood swings and the victim may think the abuser has a mental health problem. One minute they can be charming and sweet and the next minute they become angry and explosive. Explosiveness and moodiness are typical of people who beat their partners.

Past History of Battering

The abuser has a history of past battering of partners and although they may admit to that, they say their previous partner provoked them to do it. A batterer will beat any partner they are with if the person is with them long enough for the violence to begin; situational circumstances do not cause a person to have an abusive relationship.

Use of Violence and Threats of Violence

Violence can include holding the victim down, restraining them from leaving the room or pushing, shoving or holding them against a wall.

Abusers may also throw or break objects as a punishment (breaking treasured possessions), but throwing or breaking objects mostly used to terrorize the victim into submission. The abuser may break or strike objects near the victim to frighten them.

Threats of violence include any threat or physical force meant to control the victim: "I'll kill you", "I'll break your neck", "If you ever leave, I'll kill you."

If you think you may be involved in an abusive relationship, know that you are not alone and you can seek help. Please call our Toll-Free, 24-Hour Hotline at 800-323-HOPE (4673).

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Warning Signs of an Abusive Relationship - New Hope, Inc.

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Jealousy is a sign of insecurity and lack of trust, but the abuser will say that it is a sign of love. The abuser will question the victim about who they talk to, accuse them of flirting, or be jealous of time spent with their friends, family, or children.

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Song: "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" by Taylor Swift

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Song: "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" by Taylor Swift

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In "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived", Swift sings about the detrimental effects that a poor relationship or partner can have on those close to them. The song especially discusses the aftermath of these relationships from the perspective of the victim. The song discusses gaslighting,

In the case of these behaviors occurring as a result of a generational cycle or other past trauma, this song addresses how these cycles can be perpetuated through the impact that people can have on one another.

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This song discusses the desire to leave the people and place that you are from, but also the difficulty in doing so. The singer suggests that although the place and people that raised them have had a negative impact on them, there is something that keeps them tied to these spaces. Situations like these are very common, especially when there is a generational cycle of trauma involved.

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Although this text does not directly deal with generational traumatic cycles, it could be used in this text set more creatively to open the door for conversation about whether or not all generational cycles are negative. For example, Kincaid's mother was likely given the same speech as a young girl, but does that make these lessons inherently bad? Additionally, students could discuss this text through the feminist lens and investigate the word choice and structure of the story and the types of feelings it evokes and the impact it has on the speaker, as well as how they might share these messages differently or the same with their own child.