Freedom

The text of this section comprises Patty’s writings about her personal history, a project suggested by her therapist. Early in the writing, Patty reveals that she is an atheist and that school athletics saved her life. She pays tribute to a list of coaches she appreciated when she was at college.

Patty describes being the oldest of four children who grew up in New York. She refers to herself as “relatively dumber” (29) than other students. Her mother is Joyce Emerson, a “professional Democrat” (30) and a state assemblywoman.

Patty gives a brief history of Joyce and Ray Emerson, her parents. Ray always teases Patty, and his attention often verges on cruelty, which he dismisses as a symptom of his sense of humor. He is an attorney for underprivileged people and often works for free. Ray is cynical about the legal system and says that everyone in it is a liar.

As a teenager, Patty often dates shy or unpopular boys. A boy named Ethan Post rapes her at a party when she is 17. She had been drinking alcohol and was unsure at first whether it was rape. The next morning, she cries in the shower.

The story becomes public after her coach spies on her after a game in which she played badly, and then asks what was wrong.