Discuss the letter Willa receives in the mail. Discuss positive accountability. Is the letter a true definition of accountability?
In Friendswood by René Steinke, Cully Holbrook drunkenly rapes a young girl who was drugged at a party. Although there are witnesses, the case never makes it to a courtroom because Willa's parents disallow her from sharing information with the police. The reader learns later on in the book that Cully was so intoxicated that he didn't remember having sex with Willa, and that as soon as he realized it he stopped. Although the event still took place, one can assume that this is not a part of Cully's character as the memory of it eats at him. When he's talking about his friends, the book reads "...with them, there would be more accidental fuckups like the one with Willa Lambert, which still clawed at him, the way her face looked when she'd passed out in the bed" (Steinke 351). Despite his apologetic disposition, it is very difficult for him to express his regret for forcibly having sex with her. What could he say; "Sorry that I raped you."? Taking accountability for such a thing has no precedent because forgiveness is not to be expected from a victim of such an act. Cully, a man of character who realized the huge error he made by sacrificing his judgement to alcohol, at least takes a step towards positive accountability.
Positive accountability is the acknowledgement of an error, an offer to repair the damage if necessary, and the expression of emotion without the use of criticism (Alasko 124). Willa Lambert receives a letter in the mail from an anonymous sender who is undoubtedly Cully Holbrook. The letter reads,
"I AM SORRY FOR WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS DRUNK. BUT I COULD HAVE STOPPED IT. YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE THERE. YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING" (Steinke 379).
He does not sign his name anywhere on the letter, and some might say that this is hiding behind a veil and not true accountability. However, it is common knowledge to Willa and others in the town that Cully is the offender. Not signing his name does not completely diminish the attempt he made to apologize for the unforgivable. Even though the letter may bring back the thoughts of the event to Willa, Cully wrote it with good intentions, if not for her peace of mind, his own. Now back to the question of positive accountability.
Firstly, the accountability must acknowledge an error. Although Cully did not write his name, he did acknowledge the error he made. Next, an offer to repair the damage. This point is simply not applicable in this situation, as the sex between Willa and Cully can never be undone. Finally, an expression of emotion without the use of criticism. In the letter, Cully hits these two points with the same two lines."YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE THERE. YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING" (Steinke 379).He removes all blame from her, does not criticise, and shows regret through his words. By acknowledging that she didn't know what was happening or where she was, Cully tells her that she should not in any way feel responsible for what happened to her. According to Carl Alasko, author of Beyond Blame: Eliminating the Most Toxic Form of BS from Your Life, Cully used positive accountability. He did not apologize because he thought he would get in trouble, nor did the law force him to write to Willa. He did it because he felt truly sorry for what had occurred.
Was Cully's accountability enough? Some may say not, but what would be enough? There is no way to reverse what happened. He could, perhaps, make a more formal apology, but Willa's possible reaction to him is unknown, and therefore could be a bad thing. Cully did not do everything in his power to apologize, but this is something that is very difficult to apologize for, especially because forgiveness is not to be expected. Overall, his letter was a form of positive accountability; perhaps not the best form, but a form nonetheless.
Works Cited
Steinke, Rene. Friendswood. New York: Riverhead, 2014. Print.
