Imagine life as a woman in the 1950s: struggling with the idea that men are superior to women, and stuck in a life filled with empty opportunities. Esther Greenwood, protagonist from the novel The Bell Jar, contemplated this problem as she began learning the typical customs expected of women during the 1950s. Pressured by both her mother and society to accept a future devoid of genuine happiness and adventure, Esther lost control of her own life and spiraled downward into a continuous cycle of denial and depression. During the 1950s, a typical family consisted of a working father, a stay-at-home mother, and respectful children, all living together in a safe, suburban neighborhood. Author Sylvia Plath questions these family structures, with
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The number of parents, the type of parents, and the relationship between parents can be linked to a child 's well-being. According to Child Trends Databank, “...[children] living...in single-parent households, are less likely...to exhibit behavioral self-control, and more likely to be exposed to high levels of aggravated parenting, than are children living with two biological parents” (“Family Structure” 2). Not only do single parents have a tendency to raise children with less self-control, but the typical low income plays a factor in the child’s social and physical well being. Also, children living in stepfamilies or with divorced parents “have lower academic performance, social achievement, and psychological adjustment than children with married parents” (“Family Structure” 2).The type of family a child lives in greatly affects how he/she perceives the world, and how they develop. This explains why family structures are extremely important to society, as they shape the future generation of …show more content…
During the 1950s, it was a cultural acceptance that both men and women would grow up to marry and raise a family. The women worked at home, tending to domestic tasks, while the men went to work. It was also uncommon for women to raise children alone, because it was harder for women to financially support themselves. According to Kathy Gleason from Demand Media, “Generally, women gave up their job after they married, or if not after they married, then after they had children” (Gleason, “1950s Global Dynamics”). Due this cultural norm, women found themselves dependent on a husband to support their family. Yet, Esther Greenwood lost her father at a young age, which forced her mother to teach “shorthand and typing” to earn an income (Plath 39). Esther notes her mother’s struggle when she mentions, “...and secretly she hated it and hated him for dying and leaving no money” (Plath 39). Mrs. Greenwood’s financial and emotional burden of raising her children on her own, illustrates the rough endeavor that single women in the 1950s
The number of parents, the type of parents, and the relationship between parents can be linked to a child 's well-being. According to Child Trends Databank, “...[children] living...in single-parent households, are less likely...to exhibit behavioral self-control, and more likely to be exposed to high levels of aggravated parenting, than are children living with two biological parents” (“Family Structure” 2). Not only do single parents have a tendency to raise children with less self-control, but the typical low income plays a factor in the child’s social and physical well being. Also, children living in stepfamilies or with divorced parents “have lower academic performance, social achievement, and psychological adjustment than children with married parents” (“Family Structure” 2).The type of family a child lives in greatly affects how he/she perceives the world, and how they develop. This explains why family structures are extremely important to society, as they shape the future generation of …show more content…
During the 1950s, it was a cultural acceptance that both men and women would grow up to marry and raise a family. The women worked at home, tending to domestic tasks, while the men went to work. It was also uncommon for women to raise children alone, because it was harder for women to financially support themselves. According to Kathy Gleason from Demand Media, “Generally, women gave up their job after they married, or if not after they married, then after they had children” (Gleason, “1950s Global Dynamics”). Due this cultural norm, women found themselves dependent on a husband to support their family. Yet, Esther Greenwood lost her father at a young age, which forced her mother to teach “shorthand and typing” to earn an income (Plath 39). Esther notes her mother’s struggle when she mentions, “...and secretly she hated it and hated him for dying and leaving no money” (Plath 39). Mrs. Greenwood’s financial and emotional burden of raising her children on her own, illustrates the rough endeavor that single women in the 1950s