The Smell of Abuse

I find it interesting how Precious describes shutting out everything and everyone around her. The description of the ongoing abuse and rape by her father from the time she was a child until she was pregnant at the age of twelve is disturbing to me. I have noticed how Precious often relates the abuse to horrible, dirty smells. The physical abuse by both Precious' mother and father is very shocking and it seems that she has never had any positive connection with either of them her entire life.