Family is not only a group of people related by blood but strung together by love and care for one another. Family is a gift given to every soul in the world upon which a successful life can be built. With family, all things are possible. It is a place that you should look forward to coming home to everyday, somewhere you can feel safe and welcomed and accepted no matter what kind of day you’re having. There are many different interpretations of what a “good” family consists of. “Stone Soup” by Barbara Kingslover and “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith both focus on situations that families overcome using the strength of their love.
“Stone Soup,” primarily refers to families that are often judged in society for being unlike a traditional family that consists of mom, dad, sister, and junior, according to the essay. One quote from the book that refers to different types of families is, “To judge a family’s value by its tidy symmetry is to purchase a book for its cover” (Kingslover 19). The tidy symmetry is referring to a family that to society is normal and acceptable. To judge a family by if it’s according to society rules is the same as judging something for what it looks like on the outside. There surely could be a family with gay or blended parents who get along better than a family with “normal” parents. Another quote says, ”Divorce, remarriage, single parenthood, gay parents, and blended families simply are. They’re facts of our time” (Kingslover 16). I think it is true that every generations’ society has had a different perspective of what a normal/good/stable family should be like. Hopefully if more people listen to the views of family members of these so called broken homes the next generation will accept families how they are.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn also showed ideas about family. Throughout the story the Nolans struggle with everything from poverty to sexual assault to education to alcoholism. Katie, the mother of the Nolans, has a strong sense of what family is all about and uses this strength to get her family out of situations as best as she can. In this quote we see Katie putting all her efforts into creating a better life for Neeley, “Katie would make him [Neeley] into the kind of man Johnny should have been” (Smith 96). Katie loved both Johnny and Neeley passionately in different ways and knew they both had the potential to be successful. She decided that she would do everything in her power to make sure he fufiled that potential. The other quote I recognized showed the family bond between siblings as opposed to mother to child, “My brother is next. His arm is just as dirty as mine so don’t be surprised. And you don’t have to tell him. You told me” (Smith 147). Francie tells this to the doctor when the doctor judges her for having a dirty arm when her and Neeley go to get their shots. This resembles how families should be proud of one another and where they are all coming from. Francie has a good sense of how families should function that she inherits from her mom.
I myself believe that the function of family is simple. Family are the people who god gave to you in your life to guide you down the path of love. Your family should show you unconditional love without a cost and that is what they are there for. Families do have problems and no family is perfect but as long as there is love for one another in families members’ hearts, there will always be forgiveness, trust, and acceptance between them. Not only is family the people that you are somewhat forced to spend your life with but the ones that someday you’ll appreciate more than any other thing in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment