The Accordion Family Analysis

Superior Essays
In the article "The Accordion Family: Boomerang Kids, Anxious Parents, and the Private Toll of Global Competition" by Katherine S. Newman, the impact of the economy on families is discussed as well as the life of a kid as they are older. Kids are starting to return home or even not leaving their parents after graduating high school. This has concern for some people that kids will never learn to become independent and live on their own someday. The author effectively discusses the issue of kids not leaving home or kids returning home after a while and how that can impact a person’s being.
Many facts are used in this article to evaluate the change in jobs as well as living situations in America. Relating to the issue of jobs in America, Newman
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Some parents might have a hard time letting their child go off into the real world and as Newman states it, “American parents recognize that life is simply more costly today, the job market is problematic, and all that combines to limit the capacity of their kids to do what they did in the distant past” (91). Newman effectively communicates that the economy and job market it not the greatest and it can be hard for people to live on their own in this world. The tone of this article is sad; especially in the last few paragraphs because the author emotionally talks about how living in today’s world can be very hard for people. Newman identifies that when a person is still living with their parents, they can sometimes lose their spirit or pride (89). A person can lose their emotional drive to do anything for themselves in life if they know they will be supported by their parents at all time. The author effectively discusses that living at home is not a bad thing if financially or for other reasons a person cannot go live on their own. Newman does describe how if a person becomes reliant on their parents, that is when it can cause problems where the child will not want to become independent and on their own someday. The effective use of emotions in this article really makes the readers look at how living with parents can influence a person’s …show more content…
The message that adult children living with their parents can be problematic is helped by the use of this middle diction. The target audience is primarily to teenagers and older as it talks about children leaving home and going to live on their own so it’s directed to those children and the parents who are raising the children. Middle diction is appropriate here because this article is intended for parents and teenagers and they would be able to read and comprehend the author. Newman is a leading sociologist who particularly works on class mobility and the working poor so her article is credible and probably intended for adults and older

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