“Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett: Author’s most celebrated novel (1) describes, in passing, a purported method of child sexual abuse

“He had lived his life as a good father but now Oscar Mendoza saw again his life as a boy. A daughter was a battle between fathers and boys in which the fathers fought valiantly and always lost…Oscar himself had made too many girls forget their better instincts and fine training by biting them with tender persistence at the base of their skull, just where the hairline grew in downy wisps. Girls were like kittens in this way, if you got them right at the nape of their neck they went easily limp. Then he would whisper his suggestions, all the things they might do together…His voice traveled like a drug dripped down the spiraling canals of their ears until they had forgotten everything, until they had forgotten their own names, until they turned and offered themselves to him, their bodies sweet and soft as marzipan. Oscar shuddered at the thought" (2, pp. 151-152).

Comment: Most persons with multiple personality have a history of childhood trauma (such as, but not necessarily, child sexual abuse). Why is this well-written passage in the book? Does it contribute to the plot or character development, or did it have a personal meaning for the author?

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1. Wikipedia. Bel Canto (novel). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bel_Canto_(novel)

2. Ann Patchett. Bel Canto [2001]. New York, Harper Perennial Olive Edition, 2010.