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This Is An Apology By Me, To Me, For Me: Exclusive Interview With 'The Vagina Monologue' Famed Eve Ensler

American playwright Eve Ensler recently released her book 'The Apology' which has been published by Bloomsbury India.

This Is An Apology By Me, To Me, For Me: Exclusive Interview With 'The Vagina Monologue' Famed Eve Ensler
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Like millions of women, Eve Ensler has been waiting for a long time life for an apology. Sexually and physically abused by her father, Eve has struggled her whole life to deal with this betrayal, longing for an honest reckoning from a man who is long dead. After years of work as an anti-violence activist, she decided she would wait no longer; an apology could be imagined, by her, for her, to her. The Apology, written by Eve from her father's point of view in the words she longed to hear, attempts to transform the abuse she suffered from unflinching truthfulness, compassion, and an expansive vision for the future.

The Apology Eve has set out to provide a new way for herself and a possible road for others, so that survivors of abuse may finally envision how to be free. She grapples with questions she has sought answers to since she first realized the impact of her father's abuse on her life: How do we offer a doorway rather than a locked cell? How do we move from humiliation to revelation, from curtailing behaviour to changing it, from condemning perpetrators to calling them to reckon? What will it take for abusers to genuinely apologize?

Also Read: American Playwright Eve Ensler Launchs 'The Apology' With Faye D'souza And Rahul Bose

Remarkable and original, The Apology is an acutely transformational look at how, from the wounds of sexual abuse, we can begin to re-emerge and heal. In an exclusive interview with Eve Ensler, talking about the book she said, 

Through this book, I wanted to create a blueprint for other men of how they can introspect on themselves and apologise to anyone whom they might have abused or hurt in the slightest of way. In my career as an activist, I have met thousands of women who have been raped and abused and when I ask them what would they want in return from their perpetrator, 20 per cent of them said that they want to see them in prison or killed but 80 per cent of them said that they just want a genuine apology from them. 

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On Writing The Book

As grown-ups when we look back, we realise that every kid has a wound but we are taught that we shouldn't touch that wound. But no tells us that the wound dictates our life, consciously or subconsciously.  Writing this book gave me solace and ensured that I won't ever think of my childhood in a bitter way. 

Role Of Her Mother In The Entire Process 

My mother was completely aware of everything that was going on but never dared to speak against him. I saw my mother as my father's third child. When I became older and finally confronted her, she told me, "By the time your father became a monster I had three children, no job and nowhere to go that's why I 'sacrificed' you''. Yes, 'sacrificed' those were her exact words. However, I never had a good relationship with her but forgave her as she had confronted at least.  

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