Throughout “In Defense of Single Mothers” Katie Rophie attempts to tear down the image of the “nuclear family” and reinvent the perceived negative image of single mothers. In 2015 every family is unique and that’s what makes your family, your family. Roiphe is correct that single mothers shouldn’t be looked down upon, but even with that said, a father being present in the home is ideal.
Rophie very early states in her article that she is “lucky enough to be living in financially stable, relatively privileged and to have had the education” (58), unfortunately most single mothers aren’t “lucky enough” to raise their children in those circumstances. Poverty is all too common for these women living paycheck to paycheck while raising their child …show more content…
McLanahan but says she is not a “huge believer in studies because they tend to collapse the complexities” (59). What doesn’t make sense is further down in her article she uses Mclanahans findings that state “a two parent, financially stable home with stress and conflict would be more destructive than a one parent, financially stable home without stress and conflict” (59). She spins that study to make it seem like two parent financially homes are always filled with conflict and that one parent homes are all peace and happiness. How healthy is any relationship or family with no fights anyway? How can Rophie fight the idea of a “nuclear family” but, then use a study like that to make it seem not having a father make its less likely to have stress for the children. In fact, one could argue that the living conditions of a single parent would bring more stress. Mclanahan points these circumstances out as “instability and poverty” (59) and “increase the chances for alcoholism, mental illness, academic failure and other …show more content…
Growing up with both of those dynamic relationships would only be a positive. A son needs a male figure in his life to guide him and to look up to. The author’s son Leo is longing for this and it is easy to see how he acts around his sister’s father. “My son, Leo, started to call his sister’s father, Harry, “my Harry.” (58) She goes on to tell how he even copies his hair style and get excited every time he spots his car. Rophie might not be able to realize it, but Leo is using Harry to fill that gap in his life. There are some things in life that every child should experience with their father. Learning how to cast a fishing line, learning to throw a baseball, learning how to change your cars oil, these aren’t absolutely essential to survival, but there is something almost therapeutic about it and you would be missing out on some of the best times growing up if you didn’t get to have that
Rophie very early states in her article that she is “lucky enough to be living in financially stable, relatively privileged and to have had the education” (58), unfortunately most single mothers aren’t “lucky enough” to raise their children in those circumstances. Poverty is all too common for these women living paycheck to paycheck while raising their child …show more content…
McLanahan but says she is not a “huge believer in studies because they tend to collapse the complexities” (59). What doesn’t make sense is further down in her article she uses Mclanahans findings that state “a two parent, financially stable home with stress and conflict would be more destructive than a one parent, financially stable home without stress and conflict” (59). She spins that study to make it seem like two parent financially homes are always filled with conflict and that one parent homes are all peace and happiness. How healthy is any relationship or family with no fights anyway? How can Rophie fight the idea of a “nuclear family” but, then use a study like that to make it seem not having a father make its less likely to have stress for the children. In fact, one could argue that the living conditions of a single parent would bring more stress. Mclanahan points these circumstances out as “instability and poverty” (59) and “increase the chances for alcoholism, mental illness, academic failure and other …show more content…
Growing up with both of those dynamic relationships would only be a positive. A son needs a male figure in his life to guide him and to look up to. The author’s son Leo is longing for this and it is easy to see how he acts around his sister’s father. “My son, Leo, started to call his sister’s father, Harry, “my Harry.” (58) She goes on to tell how he even copies his hair style and get excited every time he spots his car. Rophie might not be able to realize it, but Leo is using Harry to fill that gap in his life. There are some things in life that every child should experience with their father. Learning how to cast a fishing line, learning to throw a baseball, learning how to change your cars oil, these aren’t absolutely essential to survival, but there is something almost therapeutic about it and you would be missing out on some of the best times growing up if you didn’t get to have that