There are a variety of abuses that take place all over the world, such as mental, physical, and verbal abuse. However, between 960,000 and 3,000,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported each year, while many other incidents go unreported. It is estimated that more than ten million people are victims of domestic violence in the United States each year. In “My Papa's Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the author attempts to embellish the horrific experience of his son's abuse into a joyful and affectionate waltzing session. The waltz is a dance involving interaction, rhythm and interdependence between two people, thus symbolizing a relationship between father and son. However, in reality the waltz actually symbolizes a beating, the choice of words throughout the poem often indicates the beating that is taking place. The poem is led by dancing around the house with her son, while the beating takes place. In Roethke's “My Papa's Waltz,” the author uses the form of “dance” to describe an abusive relationship with his son. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The poem says “For every step you missed, my right ear scratched a loop,” which can be interpreted as an innocent dance between a child and his drunken father. However, this stanza can actually understand that the "dance" is not all play and fun for the boy, as he is quite scratched. The boy is afraid of upsetting his father, which is why he always insists on continuing to dance with his drunk father, even though his father constantly hurts him. In the early 20th century, it was common for a father to discipline his children by beating them with a belt. Such punishment is not explicitly shown in this poem, but the same belt could also have been used to discipline the boy. Battered child syndrome was a major problem in the 1940s and 1950s, in which many children suffered from symptoms, injuries, and signs of abuse seen in severely or repeatedly abused children. During this period, it was common for children to be abused by their fathers or male family members due to the considerable power men held in their homes and in society. Child battering or "non-accidental injury" had been identified by pediatricians as early as the 1950s. It became a major political issue in the 1960s and 1970s, although more associated with the actions of mothers than those of fathers. or other male relatives. Thus, child abuse was a major problem in the 1940s and 1950s, which explains how the father's behavior could become a norm for the child and even the mother. In the poem, it indicates how the mother/wife was not happy, because of the mess her husband was making in the kitchen, but kept silent out of fear and submission. In the third stanza, the speaker illustrates how his father mistreats him throughout life. dance. “The hand that held my wrists/was struck on a knuckle,” these lines show the roughness and severity of her father's grip on her wrist instead of a steady, rhythmic posture that usual partners should adopt. The father's beaten knuckle symbolizes the effect of the beatings that take place and the aggressiveness of Roethke's father towards the child. The interpretation of the fourth stanza also allows us to sense the indication of the beating, "You beat time on my head/with a palm hard covered with earth", in which we see more of the.