In the fictional legal drama Vanishing Acts award winning author Jodi Picoult explores the issue of parental kidnapping. Picoult delves into issues that may cause a parent to run away with his or her own child even if doing so is illegal.
A Father's Crime
In the novel Vanishing Acts a father kidnaps his four year old daughter during a weekend visitation. He changes their names and the two start a new life in a new town. The becomes a prominent figure in his new home and becomes a good example of one who hides in plain sight. It is not until the daughter is an adult that the father's deed comes to light and even though many years have passed he is arrested and brought to trial.
When is a Crime Justified?
In Vanishing Acts Picoult explores the issue of whether a crime such as parental kidnapping is ever justified. As the novel progresses the reader discovers the reasons the father took his daughter away from her mother. The reader is left struggling with the question of whether or not such an act can really be a crime if it is in the best interest of the child. Jodi Picoult does a good job in creating characters that allow readers to see that not everything is always black and white and that shades of gray can make all of the difference.
What Makes a Person Who They Are?
In the novel Picoult did a wonderful job in creating the personality of the kidnapped daughter. The young woman is strong and vulnerable at the same time. She struggles with her identity as she questions who she truly is. Issues regarding what makes a person who they are are explored as the young woman thinks about the person she has become and the person she was before the kidnapping.
Picoult's Development of Character
Jodi Picoult did an excellent job in creating characters of depth whom the reader can identify with. She created characters with real emotions, struggles, hopes, and fears. The reader finds themselves feeling for the fictional characters and wishing the best for them.
Jodi Picoult created a wonderful and thought provoking novel when she wrote Vanishing Acts. The book is one that readers are able to be captured by from the first page on and one that readers will be hesitant to put down. The book is an excellent choice for young adults and up but is not one that would be suitable for young children.
Reference:
Picoult, Jodi. Vanishing Acts. Simon and Schuster: New York, 2005.
ISBN 1416506705, 9781416506706
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