Carousel - fatalism in response to domestic abuse

I have just performed in a production of Rogers and Hammerstein's musical "Carousel". I was a chorus member at the Macrobert theatre in Stirling. It was fantastic week - a top class professional quality show that was also great fun for all involved in the production. I was pretty exhausted by the end of the week after seven performances but also exhilarated and I look forward to the next production.
However, though I enjoyed the music and all aspects of the production, I have a serious concerns about the portrayal of domestic violence in the story line. I was acutely aware of this yesterday when I was given a copy of the Scottish Women's Aid booklet "Faith communities - 10 things you can do to stop domestic abuse."
For those of you who don't know the story of "Carousel" here is some background. The musical is set in a fantasy USA in the late 19th century.  Julie, the heroine, falls in love with Billy, a man she meets on the fairground who leaves his job as barker for the carousel to be with her.  Frustrated at not working and not being able to get work he hits her. Billy, the abusive husband, is weak and easily led. Once away from the maternal care of the carousel owner he falls prey to the malevolent influence of the villain, Jigger. Throughout the musical Julie condones his actions by understanding his frustration and saying her strong love for him meant the blow never really hurt.  The sentiment is expressed most fully in the lyric 

"Oh, what’s the use of wond’rin’ If he’s good or if he’s bad?
He’s your fella and you love him, That’s all there is to that.
Common sense may tell you that the ending will be sad and now’s the time to break and run away,   
But what’s the use of wond’rin’ if the ending will be sad? He’s your fella and you love him there’s nothing more to say."

This could be an example of the author highlighting a then undisclosed social problem. But it could also have been a tacit acceptance of the status quo that didn't need to be challenged. The other women, friends of Julie, agree that men as a whole are pretty useless when they sing...

"A girl who's in love with any man is doomed to weep and wail.  
Stonecutters cut it on stone woodpeckers peck it on wood,
There's nothin' so bad for a woman as a man who's bad or good!"

Yet despite this sentiment they do not directly challenge Julie to face up to the reality that she is living.

Fifteen years after Billy's death, near the end of the musical, Julie is still firm in her belief that love makes you oblivious to pain in a remark to her daughter who has met the ghost of Billy.
It could be argued that the musical's strange concept of  divine judgement was an attempt to get Billy to face up to the wrong that he had done. But this in no way makes up for the acceptance by that community in that time of such behaviour.
Caroulsel was first produced in 1945 and society and the expectations of how to behave in all relationships was very different then compared to today. Perhaps, with our increased awareness and sensitivity to this issue, the phone number of a Domestic Abuse helpline should have been printed in the programme for anyone affected by the performance. Or am I over-reacting?

Buy a copy of the original soundtrack CD by clicking here