Comparing Traditional Families In Kingsolver's Superman And Me

The idea of a traditional family has been changed throughout history. In medieval times, the father in the family worked and supported his family with an income. The mother stayed at home and took care of the children. However, this seemingly problemless family lifestyle was not as it seemed; most marriages hundreds of years ago did not last long, as diseases killed off the family members. Now, families are much different; women hold jobs, just as their husbands do. Marriages often do not last long, but for other reasons. Published within three years of each other, “Stone Soup” by Barbara Kingsolver and “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie both discuss the common theme of family; however, “Superman and Me” focuses on one Indian’s personal experience with family, whereas “Stone Soup” is centered around the dynamics of family. The idea of a nontraditional family is the focus of “Superman and Me.” As a child, Sherman Alexie lived on an Indian reservation. His family was quite poor; at least to us, it would seem that way. Alexie’s father was the main familial figure in his life; his mother did not play a major role in his childhood. Sherman’s family was unlike most families; he had an adopted brother, and one of his sisters had died. Even though Alexie’s family lived on an Indian reservation …show more content…
Barbara Kingsolver proves this in “Stone Soup,” with a personal recount of her experience with becoming part of a nontraditional family. Sherman Alexie shows that nontraditional families can have positive results, although most people think that those families are negatively impactful. He went against the odds. became something from nothing, and made a living for himself outside of the Indian reservation. The dynamics of nontraditional families have changed greatly over the past few hundred years, and they will likely continue to be altered throughout