The Affair Essay, Research Paper
The Affair
In this paper I will try to explain to you why Deborah Bronski had an affair with
Christopher de Monti when she knew it was wrong. Deborah and Christopher are both
characters in the book Mila 18 by Leon Uris.
In Deborah?s childhood there were some reasons that could have caused her to
have an affair. Her childhood is outlined below with some of the things that may have
caused her to have this affair.
Deborah Androfski married Paul Bronski at the age of eighteen. Deborah stepped
into the world too fast, she had not experienced it enough. She had never really been
with any other man. It seemed throughout their marriage that what Deborah?s mother
told her about men was true.
Deborah?s mother told her to be careful of those boys. She told her that they
would make her pregnant. Deborah first became pregnant, and recalled what her mother
said to her.
Deborah also recalled her mother telling her that sex was ugly and painful. Paul
Bronski asked Deborah to get an abortion because she was so young. This was very
painful for her. When in bed Deborah served her sentence. The guilt of sex was deeply
implanted in her. She practiced pretending to enjoy love-making so as to not offend her
husband. Deborah didn?t experience either fulfillment or the smaller pleasures of
love-making. She was totally unemotional.
When Deborah met Christopher she said she was drawn to him like a little girl
that took his hand and was led through the black evil forest to the golden castle that sat
on a cloud. The time when they had done everything but go to bed came. Deborah threw
a tantrum, and Chris understood completely that it was her fear of an inability to perform.
Deborah opened herself to Chris and he understood her problems. He unlocked all her
years of frustration and drove them from her.
Deborah had an affair in part because she was told so many things bad about boys
during her childhood. When she married Paul all of those bad things seemed to be true.
Then when Deborah met Chris she could pour her problems out to him, which she could
not do with Paul. She felt so good when she was around Chris it was like regaining a
piece of her life she never had with Paul.
Another more technical reason for Deborah?s affair was her relationship between
her intellect, conscience, and will. The relationships were in the correct order (1st -
intellect, 2nd – conscience, 3rd – will). Deborah?s conscience is what she distinguishes
right from wrong with. She was obviously taught that an affair was wrong, sometime in
her life. There is another factor though which disrupts this relationship, which is
emotions. Deborah?s emotions were so strong that a cloud formed over her conscience
so she couldn?t make the correct decision. So, the effect of her emotion blinded her and
this is why some people, including Deborah, have an affair even though they have a
perfect conscience.
With the reasons above and my feelings and thoughts on why Deborah Bronski
had an affair with Christopher de Monti, I hope you can understand why she had an affair
when she knew right from wrong.