The Artificial Family Essay Example For Students

The Artificial Family Essay The Artificial LoveIn Anne Tylers The Artificial Family, the personality and character of three individuals are revealed: Toby, Mary and Samantha. The story has no real resolution and seems to end where it began. The characters learn and unlearn by the time the story is complete. There is no long introduction or development of the characters; the characters develop throughout the short story. Tyler uses immediate dialogue making the story even more intriguing for the reader as well as writing simply; this style is ironic due to the intensity of the plot. The author makes it seem like a simple story about two individuals who rush into a relationship only to have it fall apart. However, the plot is much more intense than this. We will write a custom essay on The Artificial Family specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now There are two main themes of The Artificial Family, love and communication. The conflict is between Toby and his wife Mary. Toby learns to love but does not ever learn how to communicate this love in a positive way with his wife. Another title that would work for this story would be The Artificial Love. The second theme is the importance of positive communication. Mary never communicated her seriousness about her feelings between Toby and Samantha. She shared there was a problem but chose not to deal with that problem. She left Toby without even discussing their problems with him. Toby never seemed to initiate any interest in his wifes needs. He never asked her why she felt as she did. He just said he did not see a problem. The story begins with Marys first words to Toby in their introduction to each other; Did you know I have a daughter? (400) This sets the focus of both of the characters into place. The daughter, Samantha, seems to be the neutral character in the story who not only ties the two main characters together but is used to separate them as well. Toby is presented as a young college student who is in graduate school on scholarships. He is studying science and seems easy going. He is simple but not a flat character. He starts out not knowing love and ends the story knowing broken love. He learns what it means to love but has not learned what it means to be a husband. In the relationship, he was more of a friend to the two rather than a dad and husband. I do not think he ever saw fault but rather felt pity that she left him. Mary is presented as a closed-off person who is disciplined in emotion and in physical stature. She is described as being a strong model for her child and apparently the child had followed her model until the marriage with Toby. Mary is seen as reserved and dressed that way also. Toby described her as smelling of burlap and that she wore her hair up with bobby pins (401). This changes after they marry. She started wearing her hair down and dressed in shorter dresses. He knew something was wrong when she started to wear her hair up with those long dresses again. Samantha is a quiet one at first, but soon, after Mrs. and Mr. Scott left, she became closer to Toby. They would roughhouse. At first she was paired with her mom in wearing long dresses and looking very solemn. But she took to Toby and became more spoiled. All three characters had one thing in common; they all wanted to be loved. Toby felt having them as his own was love. Mary wanted love but found herself being loved as second best. And Samantha found love from Toby but was taken away by her mom. All three sought for love and found it. Unfortunately, they did not learn how to communicate love with each other. The story The Artificial Family leaves the reader with a sense of tragedy. It was tragic that the marriage ended so quickly and so abruptly.

Free Essays on Parenthood

Too Busy For Discipline In the film â€Å"Parenthood† there are several dysfunctional families. Diane Wiest’s family seems to be the most dysfunctional of the four. Some might feel that her family’s problems are overblown and don’t exist in today’s society. However, Diane Wiest’s family is a good representation of the typical modern family because like Wiest’s family today’s families deal with such issues as lack of interaction, absentee parents, single parenthood, disrespectfulness, and the pressures of life. In Diane Wiest’s family there is very little social interaction between family members. Whenever Helen sees her rebellious son, she ecstatically greets him â€Å"Gary†. However, Gary never interacts with his mother. He just avoids her and leaves the house. When Helen asks Gary questions occasionally he will answer but with only one word sentences. This is as close as their relationship gets. This lack of interaction is common in modern families, especially single parent households. Usually the parent works constantly and therefore can’t spend the time needed with her children to develop a healthy relationship (Divorce 254). Therefore, the child feels isolated so when the parent does have time to interact with the child, it is hard because it is almost like they are talking to a stranger. Another problem Helen has is her promiscuous daughter Julie, who is having premarital sex with her boyfriend Todd. Whenever they interact it is because of something negative. Like when Helen accidentally picks up the photos or when Julie is having problems with Todd. Helen kicks her out, and she marries Todd and becomes pregnant. Soon they are both living with Helen. Premarital sex is an issue that modern day families have to deal with. Sex is everywhere on television, movies, and the Internet. More then half of seventeen year-olds have had premarital sex (Beck). Many parents kick their ch... Free Essays on Parenthood Free Essays on Parenthood Too Busy For Discipline In the film â€Å"Parenthood† there are several dysfunctional families. Diane Wiest’s family seems to be the most dysfunctional of the four. Some might feel that her family’s problems are overblown and don’t exist in today’s society. However, Diane Wiest’s family is a good representation of the typical modern family because like Wiest’s family today’s families deal with such issues as lack of interaction, absentee parents, single parenthood, disrespectfulness, and the pressures of life. In Diane Wiest’s family there is very little social interaction between family members. Whenever Helen sees her rebellious son, she ecstatically greets him â€Å"Gary†. However, Gary never interacts with his mother. He just avoids her and leaves the house. When Helen asks Gary questions occasionally he will answer but with only one word sentences. This is as close as their relationship gets. This lack of interaction is common in modern families, especially single parent households. Usually the parent works constantly and therefore can’t spend the time needed with her children to develop a healthy relationship (Divorce 254). Therefore, the child feels isolated so when the parent does have time to interact with the child, it is hard because it is almost like they are talking to a stranger. Another problem Helen has is her promiscuous daughter Julie, who is having premarital sex with her boyfriend Todd. Whenever they interact it is because of something negative. Like when Helen accidentally picks up the photos or when Julie is having problems with Todd. Helen kicks her out, and she marries Todd and becomes pregnant. Soon they are both living with Helen. Premarital sex is an issue that modern day families have to deal with. Sex is everywhere on television, movies, and the Internet. More then half of seventeen year-olds have had premarital sex (Beck). Many parents kick their ch...

The Role of Curriculum Design in Learning Experiences Research Paper

The Role of Curriculum Design in Learning Experiences - Research Paper Example The influences of thinking about curriculum & topics & issues relating to schooling and/or society on the enacted learning experiences of the educators and determine whether this statement can be agreed or disagreed upon with presenting appropriate facts and reasons. Prior to analyzing the above-provided statement in terms of agreeing or disagreeing the same, there lays the necessity of acquiring a brief idea about the nature of the topics as well as the issues linked with schooling or society that have a major influence on the learning experiences enacted by the educators. Contextually, the nature of the topics and the issues linked with schooling or society can be apparently noted as promoting willingness and strengthening basic reading as well as writing skills (Malaguzzi, 1994, p. 1-75). Justifiably, by focusing on these features, the learning experiences enacted by the educators will become quite result oriented (SAGE Publications, n.d., p. 2-36). There lays the requirement of understanding the socio-cultural factors that influence a curriculum and its implementation while agreeing that the enacted learning experiences of the educators get influenced by how they think about a specific curriculum and the topics along with the issues relating to schooling or society. In this regard, the socio-cultural factors that influence a curriculum and its implementation include cultural identities, population and diversified living standards among others. These factors positively influence the enacted learning experiences of the educators by making them focus on developing the undeviating curriculum standards (SAGE Publications, n.d., p. 2-36). Apart from understanding the socio-cultural factors that influence a curriculum and its implementation, there also lays the necessity of comprehending the knowledge and strategies that support students’ engagement with a specific curriculum.