Domestic Abuse In Greg Fraser's Poem 'Coward'

Glass shattering and screams of fear, also known as the signs of domestic abuse. In Greg Fraser’s poem “Coward,” a nosy neighbor, the speaker of the story, listens to these signs; signs that are a call to action. The neighbor, however, does not intervene, but instead ignores these shrieks. The speaker’s inability to help a defenseless woman being beat by her abusive-truck-driving husband brings light to the controversial issue of if someone, who knows of domestic abuse, is responsible for it or not. In addition, the poem makes the reader question if the speaker is a coward, and if he is just as guilty as the abuser. In this poem, the speaker is a coward and as guilty as the abuser because the speaker has power, but chooses to do nothing with it in a dire situation.
In the beginning of the poem, the speaker self-identifies himself as a coward by opening with “There’s a coward in every eavesdropper.” The speaker realizes that he is a coward; therefore, understanding his …show more content…
“It wasn’t my fault,” this quote shows that the speaker has guilt over the situation, which most would, but actions speak louder than words. His self-assurance does nothing for this poor woman. The justification behind the idea of not helping is superficial because the speaker is in fear of being too nosy. However, the speaker reassuring himself of this and making himself guilty for listening makes the reader sympathize with him. In addition, it makes the reader question whether or not he or she would take action if the reader were in the same situation. In the end, by “making sure the [bus] driver took the corner wide enough,” the speaker portrays human characteristics because he wants the children on the bus to be safe. Not only does Fraser use this to sympathize with the reader, but also, cleverly, Fraser puts this at the end of the poem, which leaves the last concept with the reader a positive one about the