Importance of Family
The Webster Dictionary's definition of family is "a group of people who are related to each other," but frankly I think that is wrong. Years upon years of people on this Earth, things are bound to change at some point. Families years ago consisted of a mother and father of the same race, and usually more than one child that was made by those parents. Things have changed though. People over centuries have started to change their opinions, lifestyles and even their decisions on clothing. Something that's also changed is how us as people define the word family. Most people would describe a family as the Webster Dictionary does, but not everyone has a family like the dictionary describes it. Some do, but those parents
may not be willing to treat their child with respect and those children won't describe those parents as family. We don't commonly see the "traditional" families we had years ago. We have changed our opinions, just like we have changed our perspective on families.
Family is the theme portrayed in both A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith and "Stone Soup" by Barbara Kingsolver. I always believed that a family is not broken even when a loved one is lost or a divorce has occurred in the family. Divorce is something that is brought up in "Stone Soup." Barbara Kingsolver writes "...the main problem with our reorganized family is that other people think we have a problem. My daughter tells me the only time she's uncomfortable about being the child of divorced parents is when her friends say they feel sorry for her." It honestly is crazy to see sympathy towards a child who's happy and grateful with how her family is set up. I also am a child of divorced parents ever since I was about two years old. I still to this day have peers who say "I'm sorry for you" in response to me telling them that I have separated parents. I coincidentally just had someone tell me that response last week. When hearing that, it is uncomfortable like Barbara's daughter said. I never have liked sympathy, it almost felt as if people were putting me below them and would talk to me out of pity. There's nothing for anyone to feel sorry for though! I am thankful to have two parents in my life that love and care for me even though they are divorced. Positive things came out of their divorce; I have a half sister, a stepfather and a stepmother, all people I care about very much. I agree with Barbara Kingsolver very much.
In A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Francie uses a cup to describe her family as "broken." "Our family used to be like a strong cup...it was whole and sound and held things well. When Papa died, the first crack came. And this fight tonight made another crack. Soon there will be so many cracks that the cup will break and we'll all be pieces instead of a whole thing together." (Smith 386). When I read this, it was so saddening, it was as if I felt a tug at my own heart. It felt very sorrowful to see that Francie, a fourteen year old girl, has already come to the conclusion that her family is broken. Francie and her mother soon made up after she realized how thankful she is for her hardworking mother. Francie's family is not broken, nor is Ms.Kingsolver's and mine. Everyone has problems and disputes when having a family, it's normal, but it doesn't mean we are broken.
Something that is still seen on the topic of family in both stories, is that not all people believe families can function properly when one relative is missing from the family portrait. In "Stone Soup" Kingsolver makes a good point when saying " But it's harder to shrug off the Family-of-Dolls Family Values crew when they judge (from their safe distance) that divorced people, blended families, gay families, and single parents are failures. That our children are at risk, and the whole arrangement is messy and embarrassing." When you call something broken, it's almost as if you feel sympathy or sadness towards it, but not much after that. Being called a failure though? It seems a little bit harsher, almost as if you're frowning upon them. I strongly dislike when someone uses the word failure, that word is the solution on how to decrease someone's self-esteem. I dislike it even more when someone uses it to describe a family. Divorce isn't something someone asks for or strives for, but if it's the only solution to be happy, then that family is already in the opposite direction of being a failure. In chapter 30, in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, a woman by the name of Joanna comes up. She is described as a girl who has a baby, but is not married. The whole neighborhood looked down on her for bringing her child out in raw daylight, just because she is not married. Here we have another example of people's judgement towards other families that don't have another relative. Several women who look down on Joanna don't only mentally hurt her, but also physically hurt her by throwing rocks at her and her baby. The women soon back off, realizing the trouble they all caused. When getting to the end of both "Stone Soup" and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, we are left with knowing that any family can function, doesn't matter the amount of family members.
Everyone's definition on family is different, it honestly depends on the family you are associated with now. Francie may consider family to be the ones related, or soon-to-be related to you. While Barbara Kingsolver could say family is made up of the ones that stand beside you through thick and thin. My definition: family is a group of people who are willing to listen to what you have to say and not judge you for it. They are the people you can trust, and the people who are willing to be by your side whether or not you like it.
may not be willing to treat their child with respect and those children won't describe those parents as family. We don't commonly see the "traditional" families we had years ago. We have changed our opinions, just like we have changed our perspective on families.
Family is the theme portrayed in both A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith and "Stone Soup" by Barbara Kingsolver. I always believed that a family is not broken even when a loved one is lost or a divorce has occurred in the family. Divorce is something that is brought up in "Stone Soup." Barbara Kingsolver writes "...the main problem with our reorganized family is that other people think we have a problem. My daughter tells me the only time she's uncomfortable about being the child of divorced parents is when her friends say they feel sorry for her." It honestly is crazy to see sympathy towards a child who's happy and grateful with how her family is set up. I also am a child of divorced parents ever since I was about two years old. I still to this day have peers who say "I'm sorry for you" in response to me telling them that I have separated parents. I coincidentally just had someone tell me that response last week. When hearing that, it is uncomfortable like Barbara's daughter said. I never have liked sympathy, it almost felt as if people were putting me below them and would talk to me out of pity. There's nothing for anyone to feel sorry for though! I am thankful to have two parents in my life that love and care for me even though they are divorced. Positive things came out of their divorce; I have a half sister, a stepfather and a stepmother, all people I care about very much. I agree with Barbara Kingsolver very much.
In A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Francie uses a cup to describe her family as "broken." "Our family used to be like a strong cup...it was whole and sound and held things well. When Papa died, the first crack came. And this fight tonight made another crack. Soon there will be so many cracks that the cup will break and we'll all be pieces instead of a whole thing together." (Smith 386). When I read this, it was so saddening, it was as if I felt a tug at my own heart. It felt very sorrowful to see that Francie, a fourteen year old girl, has already come to the conclusion that her family is broken. Francie and her mother soon made up after she realized how thankful she is for her hardworking mother. Francie's family is not broken, nor is Ms.Kingsolver's and mine. Everyone has problems and disputes when having a family, it's normal, but it doesn't mean we are broken.
Something that is still seen on the topic of family in both stories, is that not all people believe families can function properly when one relative is missing from the family portrait. In "Stone Soup" Kingsolver makes a good point when saying " But it's harder to shrug off the Family-of-Dolls Family Values crew when they judge (from their safe distance) that divorced people, blended families, gay families, and single parents are failures. That our children are at risk, and the whole arrangement is messy and embarrassing." When you call something broken, it's almost as if you feel sympathy or sadness towards it, but not much after that. Being called a failure though? It seems a little bit harsher, almost as if you're frowning upon them. I strongly dislike when someone uses the word failure, that word is the solution on how to decrease someone's self-esteem. I dislike it even more when someone uses it to describe a family. Divorce isn't something someone asks for or strives for, but if it's the only solution to be happy, then that family is already in the opposite direction of being a failure. In chapter 30, in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, a woman by the name of Joanna comes up. She is described as a girl who has a baby, but is not married. The whole neighborhood looked down on her for bringing her child out in raw daylight, just because she is not married. Here we have another example of people's judgement towards other families that don't have another relative. Several women who look down on Joanna don't only mentally hurt her, but also physically hurt her by throwing rocks at her and her baby. The women soon back off, realizing the trouble they all caused. When getting to the end of both "Stone Soup" and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, we are left with knowing that any family can function, doesn't matter the amount of family members.
Everyone's definition on family is different, it honestly depends on the family you are associated with now. Francie may consider family to be the ones related, or soon-to-be related to you. While Barbara Kingsolver could say family is made up of the ones that stand beside you through thick and thin. My definition: family is a group of people who are willing to listen to what you have to say and not judge you for it. They are the people you can trust, and the people who are willing to be by your side whether or not you like it.
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