Raising a child is one of if not the biggest responsibilities many people will ever take on throughout their life. Yet parents are often uneducated on how to raise a child, or they simply lack the essential qualities that all successful parents possess. Take Ashleigh’s father-a character in the short story “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer- as an example. Ashleigh’s father’s ability to perform the necessary obligations as a parent is deeply impaired by his personality. Right off the bat, Ashleigh’s father is introduced as a very irresponsible and unreliable parent. According to Ashleigh, “When [she] was little,[her] Dad use to promise [her] the stars for a necklace but like most of his promises, that one never quite happened”(Pfeffer 30). Through
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This memory has a substantial impact on her, after all the childhood memories that Ashleigh’s chooses to retain reveal aspects of what she considers to be significant. In addition to being irresponsible, Ashleigh’s father is also a selfish individual. When Ashleigh suggests that her father should accompany her to “borrow” the money, her father defensively responds “I would never steal from your mother. I’ve caused her enough pain…maybe you could borrow the money”(Pfeffer 33 ). This comment indicates that Ashleigh’s father is aware of the predicament that he is manipulating his daughter to take part in, as well as the consequences of stealing from a beloved family member. Yet he is still willing to burden his daughter with the conscience of betraying her own mother, he is willing to ruin Ashleigh’s’ relationship with her mother, as he fears reprehension from his former wife if he were caught stealing this money. As if being irresponsible and selfish is not bad enough, Ashleigh’s father is also extremely manipulative. Her father understands that the questionable favor that he is asking of Ashleigh, will force her to choose which parent is worth satisfying, as whether she decides to steal the money or not, she will have to face the disappointment and rejection of one
This memory has a substantial impact on her, after all the childhood memories that Ashleigh’s chooses to retain reveal aspects of what she considers to be significant. In addition to being irresponsible, Ashleigh’s father is also a selfish individual. When Ashleigh suggests that her father should accompany her to “borrow” the money, her father defensively responds “I would never steal from your mother. I’ve caused her enough pain…maybe you could borrow the money”(Pfeffer 33 ). This comment indicates that Ashleigh’s father is aware of the predicament that he is manipulating his daughter to take part in, as well as the consequences of stealing from a beloved family member. Yet he is still willing to burden his daughter with the conscience of betraying her own mother, he is willing to ruin Ashleigh’s’ relationship with her mother, as he fears reprehension from his former wife if he were caught stealing this money. As if being irresponsible and selfish is not bad enough, Ashleigh’s father is also extremely manipulative. Her father understands that the questionable favor that he is asking of Ashleigh, will force her to choose which parent is worth satisfying, as whether she decides to steal the money or not, she will have to face the disappointment and rejection of one