A few years ago my friend Maria was a victim of domestic abuse from her abusive

boyfriend. She was one of the people who did not listen to others because she loved that person

very much like the character in the Netflix show “Maid” My friend did not listen to her friends or

her mother; her desperate mother could no longer find ways to get her daughter to understand the

nature of the reality she was living with her abusive partner. The mother observed these realities

and could see that the man was not a good person for her daughter. Until one day when he passed

the limits with her, she realized that she deserved much more than him and she decided to leave

him alone and go. In domestic abuse, people should know if someone who is suffering from a

mental or mentally abusive problem needs all the help from us and not turn our backs on them,

we should support all those people who do not have anyone's help to get out of those problems.

In my opinion, we should help others no matter what their situation. If a friend is a victim, other

friends should help. “Maid” brings attention to this, which supports a healthy awareness to have

regarding abuse and identifying victim behaviors.

The Show “Maid”

Unlike the negative impact discussed by writers involving the binge-watching craze,

shows such as “Maid,” which is a true story inspired by Stephanie Land's memoir (see image 1),

offer a glimpse into a situation in that not all people can understand without experiencing.

“Maid,'' created by Molly Smith Metzler, (see image 2) offers that experience to a wide

audience, which helps others to understand a victim’s situation and a single mother’s struggles

when raising a child without a partner.

“Maid” is about a woman named Alex who raises her daughter while working as a

domestic worker. She leaves her abusive boyfriend, Sean (see image 4), and tries to build a life

for her two-year-old daughter, Maddy. Alex faced so many problems such as abuse, like leaving
her house to go live in her car with her daughter because she didn't have any money or anyone.

In the end, she finds another man named Nate (see image 3), but Alex needed to end her

relationship with Nate in order for her own personal growth. This is a summary of the show that

sheds light on the situation abuse victims find themselves in.

Image 1: Stephanie Land Image 2: Molly Smith Metzler Image 3: Nate

Hellowoodlands.com Collider.com DigitalSpy.com

The Main Character, Alex

The main character, Alex, experiences abuse by her boyfriend who is the father of her

young daughter. Alex chooses to finally leave the house they live in together, leaving her with no

means of financial support. In this show, Alex did not get help from her friends, which is a

reality many people who are victims of abuse are dealing with daily. But now that “Maid” sheds

light on the situation; the audience has a real-life example of what victims may be experiencing

and how a lack of assistance can make the escape from abuse even more difficult.

Image 4: Alex, Maddy, Sean from “Maid”

 HITC.com

Mental Health Disorders and Domestic Abuse

Though “Maid” is beneficial in bringing attention to the domestic abuse victims' faces

and the complicated circumstances involved, not everyone agrees that it is a show that is

beneficial to its viewers. Specifically, Mike Hale (2021). The title is “Review: Love, Anger and

Disgusting Toilets in Netflix’s ‘Maid’.” He argues that the show does not have a style. He states,

¨there are elements of wry comedy, of social-problem bleakness and of teenage-drama

dreaminess.¨ In this statement, he explains that the series wasn't all that and this does not support

my main thesis because this show really demonstrated to people how we do not receive the help

with the need.

“Maid” is beneficial for bringing attention to domestic abuse and the circumstances

victims face. The review was written by Elizabeth Skoski ( 2021) titled “ Where Maid Misses

The Mark” agrees that it is useful in this way and she argues that it is a “deeply moving

exploration of domestic and emotional abuse” which is something that can help those viewing

the show, understanding that they are not alone in their struggle.

Homelessness
 Though some reviews disagree that “Maid” is mostly beneficial, like the author

referenced above, there are those who agree. Specifically, a review was written by Judy Berman.

In the article “Netflix's Maid Is an Empathetic Portrait of Poverty That Dispels the Myth of

Bootstrapping” Homelessness is a term where people leave a place without a purpose and

without someone's help this term had a great impact on people because no one helped Alex in the

situation she was going through no one helped her they left her alone now his daughter Maddy.

In addition to the review by Mike Hale, Judy Berman discusses Homelessness and how desperate

Alex was to give her daughter a stable childhood. This author also shares my perspective

regarding how families in our society may refuse to help others and how families can get trapped

in the cycle of poverty. This shows that No matter what situation people would find themselves

in, as long as people have good stability and a good life for their daughter, there will always be

someone or a place that will help people overcome that situation.

A Network of Support

In my point of view, there will always be a place where they can help others with your

problem, no matter if they don't have help from your loved ones. People will always find

someone who cares about their situation and will help them overcome it. They will give others

all the help they need. In this situation, for these types of situations, they will always make

homes that will give them good accommodation and will give them food and someone with

whom they can talk about the situation so that they can recover from what has happened.

Closing

Not all modern television that involves binge-watching is bad for viewers. As

demonstrated here, obsessive behaviors with watching full seasons of shows in a matter of days

also come with learning and awareness. More specifically, if someone is going through a
situation and does not have anyone that can help, people may know that they can and should go

out of their way to find that help needed for someone else. If Alex, who did not have the help of

her family or friends, had others who knew what to do, things may not have been so difficult for

her. Through the show, the audience can also see how mental health in a family may greatly

influence who is capable of helping others. Mental health in a family may also prevent others

from seeing that there is a problem with someone around them. The audience may also wonder

why Alex did not have help for friends or even the courts. Well, not every situation is the same,

and “Maid” helps viewers to see that too. Alex didn't have a family members’ help for the simple

fact that her mother had bipolar disorder, which impacted her own ability to see and understand

her daughter’s struggles.

 References

Berman, J (September 27, 2021). ¨Netflix´s Maid is an Empathetic Portrait of Poverty that

Dispels the Myth of Bootstrapping.¨ Time.com

Hale M. (October 1, 2021). “Review: Love, Anger and Disgusting Toilets in Netflix’s ‘Maid’.”

The New York Times.

Lopez, K. (Sep 14, 2021). “ ‘Maid’ Trailer: Margaret Qualley Seeks a Better Life in Netflix

Limited Series.” Indie Wire

Page, D. (Nov 4, 2017). “ What Happens To Your Brain When You Binge-Watch A TV Series”

NBC News.

Skoski, E. ( October 30, 2021). “ Where Maid misses the mark.” Slate.com