The Vicious Cycle: GH

Ever since Kristina witnessed Sonny's verbal attack on Claudia at the Metro Court, I have wondered how, if at all, this incident would impact her thoughts on abuse. With Kristina now learning so much more about the complexities of abuse it seems only natural that she would find similarities in the way Sonny is with women and the way Kiefer was with her. Granted, Sonny is not likely to ever hit a woman. He is careful not to cross that line after seeing the way his mother was beaten while he was growing up. His upbringing obviously left him with the impression that abuse only exists in the physical form. Perhaps the physical pain he and his mother endured was so bad that any other forms of abuse went unnoticed. Kiefer didn't start hitting Kristina right away, and I doubt if Deke hit Sonny's mother right away either. Like most abusive situations, there was undoubtedly some mental and emotional abuse that occurred throughout, only Sonny was either too young or ill-equipped to recognize it. People knew less about domestic violence then because no one ever talked about it. I think that makes it harder for Sonny to comprehend how Kristina could possibly compare him to Kiefer.



I must say when I first heard Kristina's idea for helping Johnny destroy Sonny I thought it was a terrible plot twist, but after careful consideration I think it actually makes sense. First of all, I don't think Kristina's sole motivation for helping Johnny is to destroy Sonny. I think there is a part of her that still feels rejected by her father and is looking for any excuse to get his attention. I also think she is having a difficult time figuring out where she should place her anger and blame since Kiefer is dead and she is slowly realizing that she shouldn't blame herself. And let's face it, Sonny isn't always on his best behavior especially around women. He does have a tendency to be demeaning to the women in his life when he is pushed too far. Kristina has witnessed all of this and is now examining it through the eyes of someone keenly aware of abusive signals.


Claudia may be a bad example. She wasn't exactly the innocent victim that Johnny is remembering her as, but Sonny's last words to her could easily be considered abusive. Both the tone and context of his words were demeaning and much of what he said had nothing to do with Michael. Instead he lashed out, saying anything he could think of that might hurt her. Then of course there is the fact that he ordered her to be killed immediately after.


At some point Sonny needs to realize that his lifestyle not only fuels, but encourages volatile behavior. And if his children witness this behavior they are bound to be affected by it in a negative way. I think the way Kristina is reacting to all she has seen, learned, and experienced is a reflection of her age. She's acting impulsively without thinking things through. Of course that is also how Sonny operates, so her behavior could also be attributed to genetics. Kristina's behavior aside, I have to wonder why it was so easy for Johnny to go along with Kristina's plan when he saw Sonny. I don't like the idea that Johnny would be so blinded by his hatred for Sonny that he would ever use Kristina as a pawn, even if she is a willing participant. And I hope this storyline isn't used as a stepping stone for a Johnny/Kristina romance because he is too old for her. Regardless of that, this can only end badly, particularly for Kristina. Sonny may become so angry that he has Johnny killed, which would leave Kristina feeling responsible for yet another death. On the other hand, Sonny may get arrested, making Kristina regret her decision to punish him in the first place. Then of course there is the possibility that Kristina will get caught in the crossfire of Sonny and Johnny's war, becoming the latest casualty of Sonny's lifestyle that he refuses to amend.