Sleeping with the EnemySummaryThe oppression of women in our patriarchal society is seen daily. Men dominate women in so many ways that it becomes difficult to distinguish one form of oppression from another. In the film Sleeping With the Enemy, a young woman struggles daily with a violent and controlling husband. Even though the outside world sees Laura's life as perfect, the viewer sees the whole truth. Laura's perfect life consists of an attractive, rich husband who would do anything for her, even kill her. They live in a beautiful mansion on the coast and Laura doesn't have to work if she wants to. Every day, Laura is tortured, ridiculed and criticized by her husband. Her husband, Martin Burns, is obsessed with keeping the house in pristine condition. If one napkin is out of line, another may be out of order in the cupboard, or if dinner is a little late, Laura is badly beaten. The only way for Laura to escape her tyrannical husband is to stage her own death. Laura takes her husband and her neighbor on a sailboat one stormy evening to carry out her escape plan. She “falls” from the boat and swims to shore. Her husband thinks Laura died at sea because she couldn't swim. But secretly, Laura was taking swimming lessons at the YWCA to facilitate her project. After packing a small bag containing a few personal items and some money, Laura Burns abandons her abusive husband and leaves her miserable life behind. Thus begins the new life of Laura Burns as Sara Waters. She changes name, place, situation and is reborn. In Laura's new life, she works in a library and starts dating again. As Sara, she can enjoy life and be free. Sara regains her self-esteem, can spend more time with her mother, and relax without worrying about whether the kitchen shelves will meet her husband's standards. The escape seemed foolproof, until Martin found evidence proving that Laura is still alive. (Laura had thrown her wedding ring down the toilet and Martin finally sees her.) After weeks of searching, Martin manages to find his wife. He thinks if he can't have it, no one will. Sara doesn't want to return to the terrible, oppressive lifestyle she was trapped in before. Instead of abandoning her new life, she kills the "intruder" in her house and ends her husband's reign of terror over her....... middle of paper ......common and rare reported. Memories of these experiences are often erased due to the personal humiliation and shame women feel about the situation. Note that, in the film, Laura never seeks legal retaliation for Martin's abuse, all she wants is to escape. Sexual abuse and domestic violence are psychologically devastating for women because they are acts that inflict feelings of guilt on the victim. Too often, a woman who has been raped does nothing because she feels responsible. Early in the film, when Laura was subjected to her husband's daily abuse, she probably began to feel like she deserved this treatment because her husband was constantly beating her emotionally and making her feel like nothing. When someone is beaten for long enough, they begin to believe that they are worthless. Ultimately, Laura escapes her oppressor forever when she kills him. However, not all women are lucky enough to be able to start their lives again. Many women die from domestic violence and most men face no consequences for their actions. This film shows the triumph of a woman over her oppressor because she does everything to earn his freedom and respect..