English Research Paper

This paper compares and constrast child-parent relationships in Eudora Welty's story "Why I live at the P.O." and Wendy Wasserstein's "Tender Offer". She cannot understand how her father could place business before important events in her life? like the dance recital. When she casts her second-place trophy in the trash? it is evident that without the support of her father? her pride in winning has disappeared.

Unconsciously? Lisa feels second place is nothing. Her father is a winner. If she isn't a winner? she is a loser. Therefore? her father will not want anything to do with her. (http://art-bin.com) A survey conducted by Higgens? Duxbury and Lee demonstrated the decreasing number of hours fathers are spending with their children and the devastating effects on the children. On the average? "fathers spend less than two hours a day in the presence of their children." (http://art-bin.com) According to their research? more children are requiring some type of intervention? either through counseling or school assistance? to overcome feelings of maladaptation in their social environments" in order to form healthy family relationships Eudora Welty in her story focusing ont the relationship between parent and chidl emphaisizes that parent-child relationship is combination of behaviors? feelings? and expectations that are unique to a particular parent and a particular child. Eudora Welty's ability to extract the very last shred of emotion from her readers' literary interpretation is part and parcel of the writer's inherent talent. That she explores the vast and complex family relationship in Why I Live at the P.O. and is able to reconstruct the underlying value of an otherwise dysfunctional family speaks to a greater understanding of human conflict than most other authors possess. (http://art-bin.com) The relationship involves the full extent of a child's development. Of the many different relationships people form over the course of the life span? the relationship between parent and child is among the most important. Author says that quality of the parent-child relationship is affected by the parent's age? experience? and self-confidence; the stability of the parents' marriage; and the unique characteristics of the child compared with those of the parent. (http://art-bin.com)

By six to seven months? strong feelings of attachment enable the infant to distinguish between caregivers and strangers. The infant displays an obvious preference for parents over other caregivers and other unfamiliar people. Anxiety? demonstrated by crying? clinging? and turning away from the stranger? is revealed when separation occurs. This behavior peaks between seven and nine months and again during toddlerhood? when separation may be difficult (http://people.morrisville.edu)

Children of permissive parents may be disrespectful? disobedient? aggressive? irresponsible? and defiant. They are insecure because they lack guidelines to direct their behavior. However? these children are frequently creative and spontaneous. Although low in both social responsibility and independence? they are usually more cheerful than the conflicted and irritable children of authoritarian parents. Finally? it was found in both stories that disengaged (detached) parents are neither responsive nor demanding. They may be careless or unaware of the child's needs for affection ...