Part Two: Becoming - Chapters 15, 16 and 17 Summary and Analysis

By 1957, analysis has revealed that Sybil was born normal but was subjected to a cruel cycle of punishment, control, and imprisonment. Since no rescue could be found from outside, Sybil sought rescue from within, which resulted in the multiple personalities.

The return from the farm brought a new level of torture. One of Hattie's rituals is to suspend Sybil from the light fixture with a wooden spoon tied between her legs to keep them open so that cold water can be poured into Sybil's urethra. Once full of more water than a small child could hold, Hattie orders Sybil to hold the water in or risk further punishment for wetting herself. If Sybil cried, then Hattie would stuff a towel in her mouth. By the age of three and a half...