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who is shawn westover

by Maximilian Oberbrunner IV Published 4 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Shawn Westover (pseudonym): Tara's older brother, the second brother of the siblings. Shawn was physically, mentally and emotionally abusive toward Tara, and later to his wife. Richard Westover: Tara's older brother, fifth of the brothers. Richard remains loyal to the Mormon religion, but gives up isolation.

Full Answer

What kind of character is Shawn Westover?

Shawn Westover Character Analysis. One of Tara's older brothers. Tara's early memories of Shawn are hazy—he hasn't lived at home for a long period of time, and when he finally moves back in, he's earned a reputation throughout town for being quick to violence and hot-tempered.

Where does Shawn Westover grow up in educated?

She grows up on a farm on the slopes of Buck's Peak in Idaho. Furthermore, who is Shawn in educated? Shawn Westover Character Analysis.

Who is Shawn Westover married to in the book?

Audrey Westover, Tara, and Their Brother Shawn Audrey and Tara’s brother, Shawn, had a history of abusing women. By the second half of the memoir, Shawn is married to Emily. One night while Tara was home from college, Emily came running to the home of the Westover parents, Gene and Faye, crying and shaking with terror.

What did Shawn Westover do to humiliate the guys?

He would flick off their hats or knock soda out of their hands, to dominate and humiliate them. Shortly after Shawn Westover came back home, he invited Tara to come along with him on a long-haul trucking job down the West Coast.

What are the real names of Tara Westover's family?

What is this? Tara gives many of her family monikers in the book, but in actuality her parents are Val (“Gene“) and LaRee Westover (“Faye“). “Shawn” is the nickname for Travis. (Tyle, Richard and Luke Westover are referred to by their actual names in the book.)

Who is Shawn in Educated?

Shawn Westover Tara's brother. Shawn works alongside Tara helping their father, and at times the two siblings are close. However, Shawn also flies into violent rages, especially after he suffers a serious head injury which seems to change his personality. Beginning when Tara is a teenager, he taunts and abuses her.

Is Shawn Westover real?

Who is Shawn Westover? What is Shawn's relationship with his sister Tara like? And why doesn't Tara Westover reveal his real name? Shawn Westover is the fictitious name Tara Westover gives to one of her brothers in her memoir Educated.

What mental illness does Tara Westover's father have?

Gene Westover's Bipolar Disorder She had a revelation in a psychology course while listening to a professor list the symptoms of bipolar disorder: depression, mania, paranoia, euphoria, delusions of grandeur, and persecution complexes. The professor was describing her father.

What did Shawn do to Tara Westover?

At one point, without any obvious provocation, Shawn grabbed Tara by the hair and dragged her around the house demanding that she acknowledge being “a whore” (a total mischaracterization). No matter what abuse Ms. Westover suffered at her brother's hands, she clung to the hope that he would change.

Is the author of Educated married?

LaRee Westover, author of the new book “Educating,” is shown with her husband, Val.

Where are the Westovers now?

Westover is currently a senior research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, where she works on projects related to media and political polarization.

Who owns Butterfly Express oils?

Val WestoverFor eight years in a row, Butterfly Express, which was founded by LaRee but is now owned by Val Westover, enjoyed 30%-50% growth each year, said Valaree, but business fell off once “Educated” gathered a large audience.

What company does Tara Westover's parents own?

Butterfly Express was established 22 years ago by LaRee Westover and her daughter Valaree Sharp. It was truly a cottage industry which they ran out of their kitchen.

Why did Shawn abuse Tara in Educated?

He abuses Tara after she starts to show signs of independence and self-confidence. Shawn is a bully who wants to crush Tara's spirit, and he is motivated by taking pleasure in breaking her spirit and getting her to submit to him.

Is Shawn Westover bipolar?

It was only when Westover read about bipolar disorder in college that she realised how it might explain her father's behaviour: The grand delusions and paranoia which shaped the family's world view. “My father created our reality in a really meaningful way because we were so isolated.

Was Tara Westover's father abusive?

Tara's parents turned a blind eye towards Shawn's abusive nature as they didn't want to believe the unthinkable - that their own child was an abuser. The unfortunate reality is that Tara's parents not believing her is quite common amongst other victims of sibling abuse.

Who is Shawn Westover?

Shawn Westover Character Analysis. Shawn Westover. One of Tara ’s older brothers. Tara’s early memories of Shawn are hazy—he hasn’t lived at home for a long period of time, and when he finally moves back in, he’s earned a reputation throughout town for being quick to violence and hot-tempered.

What did Shawn call it in the truck?

Shawn called it a death machine and said Dad had lost what little sense he’d ever had. “Are you trying to kill someone?” he said. “Because I got a gun in my truck that will make a lot less mess.” Dad couldn’t suppress his grin. I’d never seen him so enraptured.

What is the relationship between Tara and Shawn?

Shawn and Tara bond quickly, taking part in community theater together and working hard side-by-side in Dad ’s scrap yard. As the years go by, however, Shawn reveals his true nature—obsessive, cruel, and violent, Shawn begins abusing his girlfriends Sadie and Erin and later turns his attentions to Tara.

What does Shawn do to Tara?

Shawn grabs Tara’s wrist in his special hold, though, and demands she admit she is a... (full context) That night, when Tara returns home, Shawn is not in the house. She goes to sleep, but is awoken by the sound... (full context) ...store and buys a bolt for her bedroom door.

Why does Tara take a stand on Shawn?

After Shawn suffers several falls and sustains brain damage that doctors say could alter his personality, Tara and her family begin excusing Shawn’s violence as a consequence of forces beyond his control. However, as the years go on and Shawn’s abuses extend to his wife, Emily, Tara decides she has to take a stand.

What chapter does Tara go with Shawn and Emily?

Chapter 26: Waiting for the Moving Water. Shawn and Emily get engaged, and to celebrate, Tara goes with them on a long horse... (full context) In September, Tara returns to Buck’s Peak for Shawn and Emily’s wedding.

What do Tara and Shawn do in the scrap yard?

On a break from work in the scrap yard one afternoon, Tara and Shawn drive to the grocery store for a snack. In the parking lot, Tara spots Charles’s... (full context) That night, Tara writes in her journal about the painful encounter in the parking lot.

What is Shawn's violent behavior?

Shawn's violent behavior is consistent through the memoir: he abuses both his sisters, and every woman he dates. He continues to display this pattern of behavior even after he gets married and becomes a father. Previous section Gene Westover Next section Faye Westover.

Why does Shawn abuse Tara?

He abuses Tara after she starts to show signs of independence and self-confidence. Shawn is a bully who wants to crush Tara's spirit, and he is motivated by taking pleasure in breaking her spirit and getting her to submit to him.

Who is Shawn Westover?

Likewise, who is Shawn in educated? Shawn Westover Character Analysis. One of Tara's older brothers. Tara's early memories of Shawn are hazy—he hasn't lived at home for a long period of time, and when he finally moves back in, he's earned a reputation throughout town for being quick to violence and hot-tempered.

What are Tara Westover's siblings' names?

Considering this, what are Tara Westover's siblings real names? Tara is the youngest of seven children (birth order: Tony, Shawn, Tyler, Luke, Audrey, Richard, Tara), and her parents are Gene and Faye (those are the names she uses in the book; their real names are Val and Laree).

What is Tyler Westover's brother number?

First, let me identify myself. I am Tyler Westover, brother number three in this book. Reading through other comments, it is clear that the book has become very controversial. A natural tendency when we encounter someone that we disagree strongly with is to attempt to dehumanize those individuals into foul monsters. We see this behavior regularly in politics as well as in arguments over land and other natural resources. My purpose in writing this review is not to try to prove either side wrong; rather, it is to “humanize” the people on both sides, while also providing a partial perspective that people on both sides of the argument may be able to agree with. Several concerns prevent this from being a full perspective.

Did Roni's mother graduate from BYU?

Roni The book mentions her mother at BYU, but didn’t graduate.

What was Shawn's threat to Audrey?

Shawn’s Threat Toward Audrey Westover. One night when they were alone, Shawn confronted Tara about her conversations with Audrey. Although Tara denied having spoken to her, Shawn once again revealed his malevolent streak.

Why did Shawn get angry with Emily?

Shawn had gotten angry with Emily for bringing home the wrong crackers for their son and violently thrown her out of the trailer in the dead of winter. Yet Tara’s parents continued to do nothing about Shawn’s disturbing behavior, even when it put their grandson and daughter-in-law at clear risk.

Did Shawn stop calling Tara?

Eventually , Shawn stopped calling her. He finally wrote her a letter claiming that he never wanted to speak to her again, and warned her to stay away from his wife and daughter. Tara’s parents, even her mother, defended Shawn’s actions as entirely justified.

Is Tara Westover still in contact with Audrey Westover?

Are they still in contact? Audrey Westover is the fictional name Tara Westover gives to her only sister in the memoir Educated. We’ll cover parts of Educated that demonstrate the complicated relationship between Audrey Westover and the author. We’ll also look at why they’re no longer in contact.

Was Tara the victim of Shawn's twisted violent and abusive antics?

There is a bonding that happens between victim and captor and there is no doubt that Tara was the victim to Shawn’s twisted violent and abusive antics. Appreciated throughout the memoir was Westover’s own inquiry into the possibility of her own “madness” so to speak.

Is Westover's childhood traumatic?

In Educated, Westover describes a deeply troubling childhood whose lasting impact simply cannot be denied. Whether the story is ex aggerated or not, if even a quarter of what happened to her were true, it would still be deemed highly traumatic, to say the least. The sheer number of times of witnessing burns, bloodied family members, and multiple car crashes is enough to give any individual PTSD.

Who is Tara Westover?

Tara Westover (born September 27, 1986) is an American memoirist, essayist and historian. Her memoir Educated (2018) debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list and was a finalist for a number of national awards, including the LA Times Book Prize, PEN America 's Jean Stein Book Award, and two awards from the National Book Critics Circle Award. The New York Times ranked Educated as one of the 10 Best Books of 2018. Westover was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2019.

What is the story of Westover's education?

In 2018, Penguin Random House published Westover's Educated: A Memoir, which tells the story of her struggle to reconcile her desire for education and autonomy with her family's rigid ideology and isolated life.

Who is Blake Atkin?

Blake Atkin, a lawyer representing Westover's parents, claims that Educated creates a distorted picture of the parents. Westover has not responded directly to these claims, but according to the book's acknowledgements, prior to publication it was professionally fact-checked by Ben Phelan of This American Life and GQ.

Did the Westover siblings homeschool?

All the siblings were loosely homeschooled by their mother. Westover has said an older brother taught her to read, and she studied the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But she never attended a lecture, wrote an essay, or took an exam. There were few textbooks in their house.

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