Cycles of Abuse

"Runaway" is about Carla's reckoning with her marriage to Clark, which has devolved into an unhealthy relationship that, the story suggests, is borderline abusive. The story focuses on the experience of Carla as a victim of abuse, showcasing how abusive behavior is cyclical and meant to trap someone in the relationship. The narrator notes early on that Clark's temper frustrates and scares Carla, as he is quick to pick fights with people. Furthermore, she often finds herself crying when Clark gets mad at her. The story emphasizes how Clark's main tool of abuse is his desire to control Carla, underscored by his pressuring her to extort Sylvia despite Carla's protestations. Finally, Clark approaches his relationship to Carla the same way he approaches his relationship to the animals on the farm; he sees Carla as something to be "tamed" to obey him. When Carla runs...