While reading this article by Lane DeGregory I could not help but to feel sad for this little girl Danielle. I felt some sympathy for her mother who is clearly delusional and probably mentally ill herself. The title of the article was a good choice; it gave the feature a sense of mystery which matched the writers tone. DeGregory told the story in a layered sort of way; getting deeper and deeper into each individual of this story before showing the relation between them.
DeGregory’s structured delivery of the story plays with your emotions; ‘The Feral Child’ made me angry at Michelle, ‘Becoming Dani’ made me feel sorry for Danielle, while ‘The mother’ made me sympathize with Michelle’s evident mental illness but overall still upset with her actions.
It’s sad to know that child services were called to their home on two occasions but yet they failed to get a sense of the abuse taking place. It’s a miracle that Danielle even survived under those conditions for so long. Danielle’s strength to stay alive in those dank conditions will be put to the test in her journey to independence and mental development. It’s just sad to know that this is not a mental illness she was born with; this was the result of years of negligence. I commend her foster parents; they were exactly the people Danielle needed. I enjoyed the article, as sad as it made me feel, it gave me hope that things could get better for Dani.