Galloway, Janice. "Someone Had To"
Summary
- a desperate account of the uncle Frank in the role of a father to the problematic child Kimberley and probably a partner to her mother Linda
- the child gets out of control, ceases communicating and gets on Frank's nerves
- he abuses her and eventually ends up intent on bathing her in boiling water as "someone had to"
Analysis
- concentrates on atmosphere rather than on action
- presents a shocking fact of child abuse versus the equally discomforting despair of the tyrannous parent
- the fatal results of failure of communication between human beings
Basics
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Author
Galloway, Janice. (b. 1955). -
Full Title
"Someone Had To". -
First Published
In: Where You Find It. London: Jonathan Cape, 1996. -
Form
Short story.
Works Cited
Galloway, Janice. "Someone Had To". Where You Find It. London: Jonathan Cape, 1996.