Rhetorical Analysis Essay on the Case for Single Child Families

March 03, 2022 Post a Comment

A Instance Report on Family as a Literary Theme

No one tin can argue the importance of family. Whether loving or trying, our relationships with parents, children, and siblings – or the lack of such relationships – tin have a huge impact on our lives. The same goes for literary characters. Their beliefs well-nigh family can be challenged, reshaped, or reaffirmed as a result of their journeys through the story.

Today's edition of Theme: A Story'southward Soul delves into family unit every bit a literary theme. Nosotros'll employ examples from books of two different genres, then compare the dynamics and patterns we find and brainstorm how we can explore the concept of family in our own work.

Examples of Family in Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones (Literary Fiction)

In The Lovely Bones, fourteen-year-quondam Susie Salmon watches from heaven every bit the people she loves effort to motion on later her brutal murder. While she peeks in on her closest friends and her killer, Susie spends most of the book watching her family.

Most of the Salmon family grows closer after Susie'due south expiry. Her mother Abigail, however, withdraws from them by having an thing. As a result, Susie realizes that Abigail has never been happy with maternity and family life. She had recalled show of Abigail'southward dissatisfaction earlier in the story ("My mother's eyes were oceans, and inside them there was loss" (43)). Just here, Susie finally sees the big flick thanks to her many memories of Abigail: "[A]part from her children my mother could reclaim [my father's] dear, but with them she began to drift. It was my father who grew toward united states as the years went by; it was my mother who grew away." (153)

Susie's decease likewise teaches her younger sister Lindsey to be answerable to her parents. After the Salmon parents separate eight years after, Lindsey and her beau Samuel run home after seeking shelter during a rainstorm. When they arrive, her father Jack is relieved to see they're safe. Lindsey and Samuel answer accordingly:

"Nosotros didn't want anyone to worry," Lindsey said.

"Lindsey didn't desire you [Mr. Salmon] to worry, specifically." (244)

This excerpt, as well as Lindsey'south chat with Samuel two pages before, shows Lindsey's awareness of Jack's emotional fragility. She, the daughter, is only as concerned about her father's wellbeing as he is about hers. Her willingness to take on such a mature role in the wake of Susie's expiry reveals how deeply she values her family.

Examples of Family in Michelle Moran'due south Rebel Queen (Historical Fiction)

Rebel Queen is a fictional business relationship of Sita Bhosale's life as a member of the Durga Dal, the female guards protecting Rani (Queen) Lakshmibai earlier Britain's conquest of India in the 1850s. Sita'due south chief motivation for joining the guards, yet, isn't wealth or recognition. Instead, it's the run a risk to ensure a better life for her younger sis Anuja.

In the story, Indian custom stresses that a helpmate's family must nowadays a dowry fortune to her married man. With a widowed father and no brothers, Sita's family tin can't afford sufficient dowries for both Sita and Anuja. As a event, their father encourages Sita to railroad train for the Durga Dal to help pay for Anuja's nuptials. This concept of duty reappears throughout Sita's youth, ofttimes as verbal reminders from relatives and her trainer ("'Who will support this family unit when your begetter is as well old to work?'" (52)).

Eventually the idea ingrains itself in Sita's conscious. In a letter she writes to Anuja afterward her joining the Durga Dal, Sita demonstrates that her sister's future is not a mere interest, but her priority:

…. I miss y'all and so much, Anu. But every week I am earning coin, and before long – very soon – there volition be a dowry fortune for you lot. Then our dreams of seeing you equally a wife and a mother will come to pass. (132)

Keys to Exploring Family unit every bit a Theme

Relationships, relationships, relationships – that alone is the key to illuminating family as a literary theme. Both The Lovely Basic and Rebel Queen rely on character interactions within the central families bulldoze the concept home:

Interpersonal Conflict: Both the Salmon and Bhosale families struggle to remain united during their corresponding stories. Susie'due south parents and siblings argue, drift apart, and reconcile numerous times; while Sita's grandmother frequently voices her disapproval of Sita'southward training.
Responsibility: As demonstrated in both sets of excerpts, a story'south circumstances can cause characters to question their duties to the family unit (Abigail and motherhood in The Lovely Bones) or willingly assume new roles (Lindsey in The Lovely Bones, Sita in Rebel Queen).
"Mirror" Families: Offering glimpses into other families' lives allows the chief characters – and readers – a dissimilar perspective on the theme. Susie oft watches over the family unit of her beginning dearest Ray Singh and compares them to her own. Sita, on the other hand, contrasts the warmth of her trainer's family and Rani Lakshmi's distrust of hers to her ain situation.
Major Life Events: Marriage, births, and other milestones are excellent opportunities for highlighting the theme of family unit. Anuja's wedding is one of Rebel Queen's highlights, while The Lovely Basic features Lindsey'southward engagement to Samuel.
Familial Love: Despite the hardships and tension, both families make the endeavor to show amore and understanding. The Salmons spend a lot of time together, pursuing mutual hobbies and caring for one another during health crises. Equally for Sita, she never resents Anuja despite the sacrifices she'due south fabricated for her. In fact, both sisters grow closer considering of Sita's aspirations to become a durgavasi.

Every literary family is different, which means there are myriad ways of examining family as a theme. How y'all'll explore it will depend on your story's external conflict and the protagonist'due south graphic symbol arc. These edifice blocks will have a profound effect on the dynamics of your protagonist's family unit, and tin can change your protagonist's view on family unit by the end.

It's Your Turn!

What stories have you read that explore the theme of family unit? How do the authors reach this?
Have you written a story featuring a family? How does each member chronicle to one some other? Do whatsoever hardships or conflicts occur in your story that challenge these relationships?
Think virtually your own family's dynamics. How close or distant are you from your parents, children, or siblings? Why did you call up each case has happened?

What are some topics yous'd like to see featured at Theme: A Story'due south Soul? Share your thoughts past commenting beneath or tweeting me at @SaraL_Writer with the hashtag #AStorysSoul.

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Sara Letourneau is a Massachusetts-based author who practices joy and versatility in her work. In improver to writing a fantasy novel, she reviews tea at A Bibliophile's Reverie and is a guest contributor for Grub Street Daily. She'southward also a published poet whose works have appeared inThe Curry Arts Journal, Soul-Lit, The Eunoia Review, Underground Voices, and two anthologies. Learn more about Sara at her personal weblog, Facebook, and Twitter.