The Non Traditional American Family
When I think of family roles, I think of parental gender roles. Traditionally, it has been that of the father supporting the family, and the mother taking care of the children. With growing societal evolvement, that has changed steadily. In many instances the mother is the main financial support for the family, and the father is given the task of caretaking the children. Sometimes both parents contribute, placing the children under the care of a nanny or babysitter. I support equality when it comes to the chance to support ones family. I believe both mother and father should feel equally of the right to work and provide for their family or take care of their children. Working to provide financial stability …show more content…
There were many instances where the mother was providing for the family financially, and sometimes even the children worked to contribute. Since the father figure was an alcoholic who sponged up a lot of their saved up money, the Walls household was a bitter one. The children were ignorant of how hard it was for their mother to support the family, even during one of Rose Mary’s meltdowns, they argued against her. Their mother had said, “I’ve got a houseful of kids and a husband who soaks up booze like a sponge” (197). They continued to think, “It couldn’t be that hard” (198). Besides the non-traditional family gender roles, they were also a very dysfunctional family that fought excessively. As Jeannette says, “Mom and Dad’s shouting was so loud that you could hear it throughout the neighborhood” (71). Despite the dysfunction, there were still moments of love or possibly attempted affection in the family. When Jeanette was short of money to pay for school, her dad payed the difference off. He met up with her at Lori’s and said, “There’s nine hundred and fifty bucks” (264). This was what seemed to be a desperate attempt to appear like he had done something for his daughter and wasn’t always just a …show more content…
My dad is a lawyer, and business owner, and my mom is an administrator for the Los Angeles Unified School District. We live in a cute, and simple home in the Pacific Palisades, and have grown up in a fairly tight-knit community. My mother did put her career on hold to raise my brother and I, and I never felt my parents were too busy for me. My upbringing wasn’t necessarily traditional, but it was far more traditional in contrast with some of my friends whose parents are divorced or have grown up with only a single parents. I have heard many messy stories of parents having affairs, or stealing money from one another, and cannot imagine the lasting psychological impact it has on a developing child. I remember a friend of mine’s parents had just had an abrupt divorce without even telling their son the reason. He then would sneak through their divorce files to uncover things, finding out his mother had an affair. He now has many issues with trust in relationships, and I can visibly see his past experiences shaping the person he is today. Family roles can be harmful or helpful depending on the individual situation you’re in.
With an ever evolving structure of family roles, the American household continues to change. Although single parents, divorced parents, and same-sex couples, are looked down upon, I am glad we are developing a tolerance as
When I think of family roles, I think of parental gender roles. Traditionally, it has been that of the father supporting the family, and the mother taking care of the children. With growing societal evolvement, that has changed steadily. In many instances the mother is the main financial support for the family, and the father is given the task of caretaking the children. Sometimes both parents contribute, placing the children under the care of a nanny or babysitter. I support equality when it comes to the chance to support ones family. I believe both mother and father should feel equally of the right to work and provide for their family or take care of their children. Working to provide financial stability …show more content…
There were many instances where the mother was providing for the family financially, and sometimes even the children worked to contribute. Since the father figure was an alcoholic who sponged up a lot of their saved up money, the Walls household was a bitter one. The children were ignorant of how hard it was for their mother to support the family, even during one of Rose Mary’s meltdowns, they argued against her. Their mother had said, “I’ve got a houseful of kids and a husband who soaks up booze like a sponge” (197). They continued to think, “It couldn’t be that hard” (198). Besides the non-traditional family gender roles, they were also a very dysfunctional family that fought excessively. As Jeannette says, “Mom and Dad’s shouting was so loud that you could hear it throughout the neighborhood” (71). Despite the dysfunction, there were still moments of love or possibly attempted affection in the family. When Jeanette was short of money to pay for school, her dad payed the difference off. He met up with her at Lori’s and said, “There’s nine hundred and fifty bucks” (264). This was what seemed to be a desperate attempt to appear like he had done something for his daughter and wasn’t always just a …show more content…
My dad is a lawyer, and business owner, and my mom is an administrator for the Los Angeles Unified School District. We live in a cute, and simple home in the Pacific Palisades, and have grown up in a fairly tight-knit community. My mother did put her career on hold to raise my brother and I, and I never felt my parents were too busy for me. My upbringing wasn’t necessarily traditional, but it was far more traditional in contrast with some of my friends whose parents are divorced or have grown up with only a single parents. I have heard many messy stories of parents having affairs, or stealing money from one another, and cannot imagine the lasting psychological impact it has on a developing child. I remember a friend of mine’s parents had just had an abrupt divorce without even telling their son the reason. He then would sneak through their divorce files to uncover things, finding out his mother had an affair. He now has many issues with trust in relationships, and I can visibly see his past experiences shaping the person he is today. Family roles can be harmful or helpful depending on the individual situation you’re in.
With an ever evolving structure of family roles, the American household continues to change. Although single parents, divorced parents, and same-sex couples, are looked down upon, I am glad we are developing a tolerance as