stayed, he would be destroyed as a man and as an artist.Laura was more susceptible to the mental attacks because she is a woman. Gender roles are still quite clear that boys are to get angry when attacked and should fight back, while girls get hurt and cry, and should look for someone else to protect them. For Laura, there was no one to protect her and to improve her self-esteem. She tried to be a quiet good girl and she thought that is what would make people like her. When that did not work she began to doubt her worth and live in a world of her own.Some people believe that nothing positive can sprout out of abuse or being picked on. One must realize that the only way to defeat mental anguish is to fight against it. As proved with Laura, if one sits back and does not fight against it, the anguish will ultimately lead to despair. On the other hand, with Tom, he did not give into the constant nagging of what his mother and coworkers wanted him to be like. He pushed to do what he thought was right, not what others thought was right. The tormenting Tom received drew out his inner most creativity. In conclusion, one must fight against mental anguish and overcome gender roles in order for anything beneficial to occur....
