Through history drastic change has always happened through action. The French revolution would not taken place if it hadn’t been for the action of thousands of unsatisfied rebels, the 2nd World War would not have ended, if it hadn’t been for the massive effort of several countries, the Cold War would still have been upon us, had it not been for the immense contribution from hundreds of thousands of young soldiers. Indeed change provides action. And not just on a large scale; if an individual person wants to change something, he or she will indeed need to take action and have the courage to face the dangers it might involve.
Just how important taking action can be, is dramatically demonstrated in Margaret Murphy’s story “Low Visibility”, where the suppressed wife Laura stands up against her violent, dominant husband.
The plot revolves around 2 persons, a man and woman, sitting on their couch watching the news. We soon discover that the man, named John, and the woman, whose name we aren’t told, are husband and wife. The news broadcast a violent protest action taking place in their city, which the man is watching eagerly, commenting on the barbaric behavior of the rebels every now and then. The woman keeps quiet, because she doesn’t dare to say that she actually feels a great admiration for the people, who have gathered to protest. Why she fears to say her opinion is revealed seconds later, as John deliberately drills his fingers into her thigh, causing her tremendous pain. Because indeed John is anything but a loving and caring husband. As the plot evolves we learn more and more about his violent, demoralizing tendencies and his dictatorial way of controlling their marriage.
And it is John’s dictatorship and the woman’s struggle to survive it that becomes the essential problem in the story.
As the protesting crowd approaches their part of the city, the woman has