Responsibility for one's own actions is an incredibly important but nuanced discussion. In regards to Cholly, it is no different. Violence, especially domestic violence, generally operates within a cycle. Usually an abuser has been abused or neglected. It's the same principle as with bullying: someone who is a bully is usually being bullied themselves.
This does not negate Cholly's responsibility for his own actions. Victims of abuse have the ability to walk away from becoming a part of the problem. Cholly's backstory, while tragic, does not excuse him from the abuse he has caused.
The question that you pose also brings up the idea of free will. How much of what we as humans do is just because of what has been done to us? It is a common belief that, no matter what has been done in the past, we are still held responsible for our actions in the future.
In assessing Cholly's violent and abusive behavior, it's important to bear in mind the distinction between excusing someone's actions versus explaining the actions. As with everyone, Cholly Breedlove must take responsibility for his actions—and those actions are pretty appalling, by anyone's standards. He is a rapist, a domestic abuser, and an alcoholic who treats the women in his life like dirt. Cholly has no one but himself to blame for his behavior.
Although there can be no excusing Cholly for what he's done, it's still possible to put forward an explanation for his actions. For the whole of his adult life, Cholly has harbored a deep sense of resentment. This comes from being abandoned by his mother when he was a baby and also from his first sexual experience, during which he was humiliated by two white men. Ever since, Cholly has taken out his boiling inner rage and frustration on the women in his life.
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