Grown

“Maybe I’m hallucinating. Because there’s absolutely no way Korey Fields would ever be into me.”

Like many teenage girls, Enchanted develops a crush on a much-older celebrity. While such crushes are generally considered harmless, Enchanted finds herself in an unusual predicament: Korey Fields is actually expressing interest in her. He is flirtatious in a way that makes Enchanted dizzy with disbelief. This initial interaction might feel innocent, but it hints at the inappropriate nature of their developing relationship.

“Korey Fields is twenty-eight years old. He’s young. But not that young.”

In Chapter 6, Jackson introduces the legendary Korey Fields: his family history, his musical talents, and his superstar status. She also points out that Korey is very attractive. Most importantly, Jackson states that Korey is 28, and although he is considered “young,” he is still too old to be paying a 17-year-old girl the kind of attention that he has been giving Enchanted. The final lines instill a deep feeling of unease in the reader.

“Enchanted, there’s something about you. You just… different. Real mature.”

Often, one of the most flattering things a child can hear is that an adult thinks they are mature for their age. Although the sentiment can be genuine, Korey uses this compliment to ease Enchanted into a relationship with him. If Enchanted considers herself “more mature” than the average 17-year-old, she might be willing to accept the age difference between her and Korey and push aside her gut feeling that something might be wrong with their relationship.

“Kylie Jenner was eight years younger than Tyga. Beyonce was eighteen when she met thirty-year-old Jay-Z.”

Enchanted tries to convince herself that age differences are not only acceptable, but prevalent in the entertainment industry. Although she is nervous about the age difference, Enchanted begins to look for examples of other age gaps to put her mind at ease. This detail might satisfy Enchanted, but it also begs a bigger question: why are certain age gaps considered acceptable in romantic relationships? And why might they be especially rampant in an industry that preys upon young, vulnerable women trying to start their career?

“One thing I know about fish: you keep them on land too long, they’ll die.”

Enchanted is consumed by the desire to break into the music industry, and to be surrounded by like-minded people with similar passions. Enchanted feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere: not at school, and not in her own family, where no one shares her passion for music. Korey is the first person with whom she shares an all-consuming love for music, and if she can’t be with him, she feels like her passion for music might burn out and leave her without a huge part of her identity.

“Her name is Melissa. She is dark brown, silky, twenty-six inches, and fits tight around the crown of my head.”

Although Korey calls Enchanted beautiful again and again during their courtship, he immediately stops his compliments and begins the process of changing her appearance once they are on tour. Enchanted, who cut her hair in order to make her life easier, is disgusted by “Melissa,” the wig that Korey insists she wears at all times. Melissa is just the first of many attempts made by Korey to shape Enchanted into a “suitable” woman for him, and Enchanted is heartbroken to learn that Korey doesn’t seem to find her beautiful just the way she is anymore.

“He doesn’t like to be seen in public with me. Thinks it may give people the wrong impression; they won’t understand.”

As Enchanted struggles to justify her relationship with Korey to herself, she notices that Korey also seems determined to distance himself from her in the public eye. They might perform together, but Korey does not treat Enchanted like a girlfriend when others are around. It is paradoxical that Korey claims he doesn’t want to give people the “wrong idea,” because the “wrong idea” is the truth: Korey doesn’t want it to look like he is dating an underage girl, because that is exactly what he is doing. 

“How could someone be so angry one minute, then love me so hard the next?”

Enchanted and Korey’s relationship is marked by extreme ups and downs, and the more time they spend together, the more downs Enchanted sees. Korey can be explosive, berating her for doing something small one moment, then threatening to kill himself if she leaves him. Korey romanced Enchanted with tender words and flirtatious texts, but now that he has her in his grasp, Enchanted starts to see more of his true nature.

“You know how these chicks be. Spreading gossip for attention.”

When news breaks of Candy Cole’s allegations against Korey, venues begin to cancel his concerts. Richie assures Korey that this will all blow over, that soon everyone will assume that Candy is lying. The irony is that there have been plenty of witnesses to Korey’s predatory behavior and abusive outbursts. In a room of people who know what Korey is capable of, those same people choose denial and deflection to protect their own interests.

“[Flounder] brings me comfort of softer times, when I was a mermaid who sang and played with little fishes.”

The stuffed Flounder toy from Disneyland provides Enchanted with a sense of home. As a girl who calls herself a mermaid and finds comfort in all things Disney and aquatic, Enchanted loves Flounder. When she is forced to move into Korey’s house, she clings to a reminder of her old life, and only later does she learn that Flounder serves a dark purpose. He isn’t just a sweet token of Korey’s affection, but the hiding spot for Korey to record his sexual assaults, and Flounder is a reminder that something innocent-looking can have a dark secret.

“There were others, Enchanted [...] Other suits and settlements. Candy isn’t the first one. There were other girls. All fifteen and sixteen and so on. One girl even tried to kill herself after dealing with Korey.”

While everyone who surrounds Korey fights to maintain the illusion that he has done nothing wrong, Derrick is the one who alerts Enchanted that she is in real danger. Enchanted may have had doubts, but Derrick is the first person to convincingly confirm her suspicions that Korey is not what he seems. He has hurt other girls, and will likely continue to hurt girls even when Enchanted isn’t around anymore. Derrick warns her that her very life could be in jeopardy, and he urges her to get out while she still can.

“People throw life preservers, but the ropes can only reach so far, and once a riptide catches you by the ankle, all you can do is wonder why you ever thought you’d be OK jumping into the deep end, when you could barely manage the shallows.”

After Enchanted manages to escape from Korey’s house and return home to her family, her healing process begins. Enchanted once again uses aquatic imagery to explain what her life was like with Korey: she saw the warning signs, and people like Derrick and the flight attendant offered help, but she felt like she was in over her head and couldn’t escape Korey’s grip. She now equates her healing process to a state of constant drowning, and she is overwhelmed and unsure of what her life or her mind will look like in a post-Korey existence.

“He makes RCA millions. It’s easy for them to ignore and bury whatever stories may come up. Christ sakes, the guy is a rock star! Known all over the world!”

Louie’s confession—that plenty of people knew about Korey’s crimes and still protected him—doesn’t just apply to a fictional character, but to most real-life, high-profile sex offenders. What these predators do is disgusting and reprehensible, but in a battle of money versus morality, Louie explains that most people choose money. As long as Korey continues to perform and rake in millions of dollars for other people, none of those people are likely to hold him accountable.

“I loved him. Our love felt deeper than the ocean, endless and beautiful.”

The ocean signifies comfort and familiarity for Enchanted: the place where she feels like she belongs. Even in the aftermath of Korey’s abuse, Enchanted believes that her feelings for him were real. Although she knows deep down that Korey was a predator, her state of mind here reveals how deep his psychological manipulation went. Even though he hurt her, it will take some time for her to accept that he was not the prince she thought he was. Trauma can be long-lasting, and bonds forged in abusive relationships can be hard to break.

“She was seventeen. There’s no relationship between a grown man and a child.”

Enchanted’s mother becomes her biggest champion in the aftermath of her rescue from Korey. Mrs. Jones outwardly expresses the sentiment that Enchanted always knew, but was afraid to say out loud: Korey never should have pursued her, and his behavior was predatory. Enchanted tried so hard to convince herself that Korey wouldn’t have pursued her if it was inappropriate, but in the end, Mrs. Jones confirms that this wasn’t a relationship; it was an abuse of power and influence over an impressionable, vulnerable girl.

“He used his money and power to hide our daughter! He abused his power ‘cause he had it. If he wasn’t a celebrity, he’d be under the jail right now!”

Mrs. Jones isn’t just speaking to the fact that Korey’s inner circle and connections in the entertainment industry protect him: She brings up the fact that the authorities seem to be on Korey’s side as well. When Enchanted was with Korey, the Jones tried calling the police and asking for help, but they were let down each time. The police never took the allegations seriously, and the reach of celebrity influence goes farther than anyone expected.

“You see her body? Walking around in them tight dresses. She was just tempting him.”

Jackson explores how the internet can be a breeding ground for cruel, unsolicited opinions from people who are made brave by anonymity. When news breaks of Enchanted’s allegations against Korey, she is found guilty in the court of public opinion because of how she presents herself. The irony, of course, is that Korey is the one who dressed Enchanted in these outfits in the first place. Additionally, the behavior and appearance of a minor, or any person, does not excuse, invite, or permit sexual advances or sexual abuse. Enchanted is in no way responsible for Korey’s behavior.

“Why is everyone so busy trying to find ANYONE to blame instead of the person actually responsible for committing a crime?”

Not everyone jumps on the bandwagon to blame Enchanted or her family. One commenter points out that Korey is the one who is responsible, and that people are making excuses for Korey instead of holding him accountable. Korey was the one with money, power, and influence. Enchanted was just a child, and her parents tried their best to protect her. Enchanted isn’t the first to come forward, and Korey is the common factor among the many allegations of abuse.

“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.”

At the end of Chapter 75, as the comments go back and forth about whether or not to believe Enchanted, one commenter leaves an original quote by civil rights activist Malcolm X. The quote serves as a reminder that Enchanted would likely be treated differently if she were a white woman bringing forth allegations. Malcolm X’s words remind the audience that Enchanted is at a distinct disadvantage, and Korey likely chose her and girls like her because he knew they would be easier to silence and manipulate, and less likely to be believed.

I think of Melissa and the way she made my scalp itch [...] One hair out of place would enrage Korey.”

Enchanted is confused and disoriented to learn that not only did Korey have a secret wife, but his wife has short hair. Enchanted doesn’t understand how Korey could be so demanding about her appearance as his girlfriend, but have a committed relationship with a woman who doesn’t meet his absurd criteria. Enchanted starts to think that Korey was never serious about helping her start her music career: She was just there to look pretty for him and meet his sexual needs, and her love for music was another tool that he used to manipulate her.

 “Shouldn’t I be happy? Relieved instead of torn and crumbling at the idea that the only love I’ve ever known was also my greatest torturer?”

As Enchanted comes to terms with Korey’s death, she finds herself mourning the man who abused her. She is confused by her own response, but Jackson uses this moment to point out that bonds forged through trauma are hard to break. Victims of Stockholm Syndrome may exhibit a similar phenomenon: When a victim bonds to their captor, they may feel conflicting feelings of relief and sorrow when the captor is gone.

“My mom won’t let me come home yet. Said I wanted to be grown, so I better stay grown.”

Enchanted develops a tentative friendship with Amber, another of Korey’s victims. Amber is only 15, but unlike Enchanted’s parents, Amber’s mother engages in victim-blaming behavior. Instead of acknowledging that her underage daughter was taken advantage of by a man with power and prestige, Amber’s mother faults her daughter for trying to act like a grown-up. Jackson nods to the title of the novel and it’s ominous meaning: Teenage girls may look “grown,” but they are still children and must be given grace and protected from predatory adults.

“There were dozens of them. Dozens of girls he recorded over his entire career. Not nearly the number who have come forward.”

With the discovery of Korey’s recordings, the number of his known victims increases and the world realizes that his predatory behavior has been going on for years. Although many girls have come forward already, Enchanted is sobered to realize how many other girls were hurt. This sheds light on the dangers of protecting predators: Countless people knew of Korey’s crimes, but because no one other than his victims came forward, he was allowed to continue. If someone had held him accountable earlier, he might not have gone on to traumatize Enchanted.