Receiving genuine support and affection from parents or guardians is a crucial factor in a child’s development. When not shown adequate affection by a caring and nurturing caregiver, children may manifest low levels of cognitive, physical and emotional development. Without proper affection children can consequently form random bonds with any adults, have difficulty connecting with others and be unable to trust others (Quick). The novels Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons and Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock both follow the stories of girls who have parents who do not show them genuine love and affection. The former is about Ellen who experiences abuse from her father and moves between unsafe homes until she takes it upon herself find a new mother. The
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In Ellen Foster, Ellen is able to realize that she must find love and protection herself as she cannot depend on the courts or her family, whereas in Me & Emma, Carrie blames herself for her circumstances. Firstly, in Ellen Foster, Ellen has a chance to be with a functioning family which allows her to realize that it is her family and the courts that prevent her from being happy. After leaving her father, Ellen goes to live with her art teacher Julia where she experiences a functioning and loving family. With them Ellen goes to a movie, has a birthday party and even receives a birthday present. Eventually they must go to court where it is decided that Ellen should stay with her grandmother who blames Ellen for her mother’s death. At this point Ellen realizes that she cannot depend on the courts to help her and she believes the judge “had [them] all mixed up with a different group of folks” (56). Instead of blaming herself for the situation she is in, Ellen blames the courts and then decides that she must find a family for herself. In the end it is Ellen’s sheer determination to find protection that allows her to succeed. In contrast, in Me & Emma, Carrie blames herself for the situation that she is in and believes that she is the reason Richard and her mother are always unhappy. The only time Carrie experiences a functioning family is in …show more content…
However, in Ellen Foster, Ellen learns that she cannot depend on the courts and her family to find her a safe and loving family, whereas in Me & Emma, Carrie blames herself for the problems in her family and thinks that she can solve them by changing her actions. In both novels the main characters experience a lack of love and affection and in turn are unable to trust others who may be able to help them which then leaves them to independently care for themselves. They are also greatly affected by loss because unable to effectively handle their grief due to the lack of support from their parents. Moreover, Ellen and Carrie are both determined to find love and affection. Although, whereas Ellen succeeds in finding a new family for herself, Carrie believes she is the problem and she must fix her family. The common message that domestic fiction novels including the aforementioned novels send to readers is that it is important for children to receive proper love and protection from parents or guardians as it plays a vital role in a child’s development and can greatly affect a child’s thoughts and actions. People must continually be aware that children need support and attention in order to grow and become independent. Unfortunately, not all abuse and neglect of children can be
In Ellen Foster, Ellen is able to realize that she must find love and protection herself as she cannot depend on the courts or her family, whereas in Me & Emma, Carrie blames herself for her circumstances. Firstly, in Ellen Foster, Ellen has a chance to be with a functioning family which allows her to realize that it is her family and the courts that prevent her from being happy. After leaving her father, Ellen goes to live with her art teacher Julia where she experiences a functioning and loving family. With them Ellen goes to a movie, has a birthday party and even receives a birthday present. Eventually they must go to court where it is decided that Ellen should stay with her grandmother who blames Ellen for her mother’s death. At this point Ellen realizes that she cannot depend on the courts to help her and she believes the judge “had [them] all mixed up with a different group of folks” (56). Instead of blaming herself for the situation she is in, Ellen blames the courts and then decides that she must find a family for herself. In the end it is Ellen’s sheer determination to find protection that allows her to succeed. In contrast, in Me & Emma, Carrie blames herself for the situation that she is in and believes that she is the reason Richard and her mother are always unhappy. The only time Carrie experiences a functioning family is in …show more content…
However, in Ellen Foster, Ellen learns that she cannot depend on the courts and her family to find her a safe and loving family, whereas in Me & Emma, Carrie blames herself for the problems in her family and thinks that she can solve them by changing her actions. In both novels the main characters experience a lack of love and affection and in turn are unable to trust others who may be able to help them which then leaves them to independently care for themselves. They are also greatly affected by loss because unable to effectively handle their grief due to the lack of support from their parents. Moreover, Ellen and Carrie are both determined to find love and affection. Although, whereas Ellen succeeds in finding a new family for herself, Carrie believes she is the problem and she must fix her family. The common message that domestic fiction novels including the aforementioned novels send to readers is that it is important for children to receive proper love and protection from parents or guardians as it plays a vital role in a child’s development and can greatly affect a child’s thoughts and actions. People must continually be aware that children need support and attention in order to grow and become independent. Unfortunately, not all abuse and neglect of children can be