Approximation Mona Simpson

The main character in the short story, “Approximations,” written by Mona Simpson, is Melinda. “In my family, there were always two people...He closed a big hand on her ear”(Simpson, 114). This quote perfectly describes how this powerful and strong character is trying to have a perfect family. “Suddenly, I wanted dates and plans and the name of a month, not to see Disneyland but to see him”(Simpson, 119). Since the father, John ruins her plans of having a perfect family, she tries to create a more positive effect on their relationship so she eventually, can have a perfect family but later in the text she relizes that her life can’t be perfect, it has to include approximations. Throughout the text, Simpson shows us that Melinda is maturing. “I loved him blindly, the feeling darkening over everything, but it …show more content…
“It wasn’t fair and I knew it”(Simpson, 120). This quote shows that Melinda hasn matured since she understand that compared to what her mother did for her, her fathers gift which was “a seventy-nine-cent package of headbands”(Simpson, 120). She also begins to understand that her fathers love was nothing. “But I didn’t say yes...to change a life, his life”(Simpson, 125). This quote just shows that she has matured since she has two options to pick from which is her mom’s love or father’s love. Since she has matured, she understood that if she went with her dad it would be fake love whereas her mom supported her the most and so she went with her. “From the lobby I saw Jerry on the ice... to follow them”(Simpson, 127). This quote shows the most growth of maturity since, she didn't go to the Girl Scout breakfast which shows us that she didn’t like Jerry, to being in his arms and accepting him as a step father, an approximated step father. In conclusion, Mona Simpson protrayed to us that approximations are in everyones life and that no one has a perfect life through the development of