An enmeshed family system, as written in the article, “The Enmeshed Family System: What It Is and How to Break Free,” by Janet Brito and Sharon Martin, “describes family relationships that lack boundaries such that roles and expectations are confused” (Brito and Martin). Parent-child relationships help develop the child’s behavioral traits and personality traits from adolescence. When the relationships between adults and their adolescents begin to lack boundaries, it can cause them lifelong mental traumas, such as unhealthy relationships and coping mechanisms, that are present in their everyday interactions. Subsequently, the article, “What Is Enmeshed Trauma,” by Theodora Blanchfield explains that “Parents being ‘helicopter parents’ [are] …show more content…
Specifically, in both the play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, and the novel, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, the main characters experience distorted family situations that end up impacting their decisions and behaviors during the course of the text. Furthermore, both the play and the novel include extensive characterization of the main characters, Juliet and Melinda, which allows for similarities and differences that the audience sees through the concept of the enmeshed family system and it’s traumatic effects on the way the characters struggle with healthy relationships, and in the way they handle conflicts. Juliet and Melinda both have different experiences with relationships, but they have the similarity of the fact that they have issues in these relationships, which is a long term effect of enmeshed family trauma. In the play, Juliet finds trouble in creating, and maintaining, healthy relationships; she struggles with this romantically, as a result of this same struggle that she has with her …show more content…
Moreover, throughout Melinda and Heather’s friendship, Heather took interest in many hobbies and activities, whereas Melinda took interest in little to nothing; this caused a barrier between them which led to Heather expressing to Melinda that “[she doesn't] like anything. [Melinda is] the most depressed person [she's] ever met, and [to] excuse [her] for saying this, but [she is] no fun to be around.” (Anderson 105). Heather was Melinda’s only real friend this entire school year, and due to Melinda’s lack of interest in social activities, Heather could no longer be friends with her; she uses harsh language to get the point across to Melinda that she can no longer associate herself with her. Melinda would not do the activities that Heather wanted to do or talk about anything that they either had in common or thought was interesting, this ultimately led to Melinda losing her only friend. Similarly, her parents never communicate well and she does not communicate well with them, which leads to miscommunication and personability when it comes to Melinda’s ability to make and maintain
Initially Melinda is unable to communicate; however, as she strengthens her social connections with others, she is able to accept her feelings of loneliness. She believes, “It is easier not to say anything [...] Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say” (9). In terms of Melinda’s home life, her parents have a bad relationship with each other, and in return, Melinda goes to her room to isolate herself; she feels more comfortable in her closet. Melinda’s parents try to communicate with her in the worst ways possible; therefore, she is completely disconnected with them. Melinda thinks that she may never grow up because she is so traumatized. She remembers her childhood memories, yet she is unable to see her own future because feels trapped and damaged. However, as she is able to come to terms with what happened to her, she can finally accept that she is beginning to grow again, and can look forward to her future. As Melinda begins to heal, so does her family. For once in the novel, her parents do not fight and they eat dinner with each other. As a developing artist, she has a lack of ambition and believes that she will never be as talented or as successful as Mr. Freeman. Through her artwork, he is aware of the negative emotions she is expressing. He informs her that she can talk to him when she needs to. Mr. Freeman is one of the only teachers who can understand Melinda. In addition,
Heather was a new student at Merryweather High School, and she instantly made friends with Melinda through sitting in the same seat on the bus on the first day of school. Melinda excepted Heather, who will soon betray her later in the book. The lunchroom is where Heather tells Melinda that they can not be friends anymore. On page 105 in the book Heather says to Melinda, “‘When you get through this Life Sucks phase, I’m sure lots of people will want to be your friend. But you just can’t cut classes or not show up to school. What’s next—hanging out with the dopers?’” This is where Heather states her reasons towards leaving Melinda. The only thing Heather did not mention is that in order to be in the group the Marthas at school, she can not be friends with Melinda anymore. Heather would rather be popular than be a good friend to Melinda, who accepted her when she was new. Also, on page 107 Heather rejects Melinda and tells her she can not hang out with her anymore. Heather says this to Melinda: “‘Look, you can’t eat lunch with me anymore. I’m sorry. Oh, and don’t eat potato chips. They’ll make you break out.’” This quote is very important because it helps explain why Melinda was able to stick up for herself. Because Heather was so harsh on Melinda, the next time Heather needed something Melinda could say no. Finding her voice after so long that it had been missing was an important event that happened to her. To add on to Heather breaking her friendship with Melinda, she was left with no one to talk to. When Heather and Melinda became friends in the beginning of the year Melinda finally had someone to be around, speak to, and motivate her. Because Heather and Melinda are no longer friends Melinda is affected in a bad way. Melinda goes back to being the outcast of the school, being depressed, and closed off.
Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin In The Sun, looks at the life of a typical African American family. The play takes place sometime after world war two, when African Americans were not treated fairly. In an interview with New York Times, Hansberry stated the purpose of the play was to “show the many gradations of even one Negro family, the clash of the old and the new, but most of all the unbelievable courage of the Negro people”. Hansberry does just as she intended, each of the family members were in different stages of life, which causes conflict between the new and old generations, but still they remain courageous during times of oppression.
The therapist would work to sense the triangles that are currently formed between family members. Also find understanding of the family by use of role reversals along with challenging the family with putting universal principles at odds with the family’s beliefs. By creating unbalance with warmth and support, the therapist looks to increase family cohesion and harmony. The therapist will also investigate the family dynamic by allowing them to express and name the symbolic interactions that are shared so that can be uncovered and understood. Once the family’s symbolic and real curative factors are addressed, the therapist can push for growth and maturity in the family. Because the family is seen as individuals in a family unit for example established
This paper explores the nuclear family within the context of the sociology of gender. Michael Kimmel and Jacqueline Holler (2011) indicatethat conservative social groups such as REAL Women of Canada define the nuclear family in terms of the 1950s gender norms reflected in popular television shows such as of Leave it to Beaver(Kimmel & Holler, p. 141).In this type of traditional family dad goes out to work to support the family and mom stays home to watch the children and take care of the home. Kimmel and Holler reference the view that the nuclear family involves “a legal lifelong sexually exclusive, heterosexual monogamous marriage, based on affection and companionship, in which there is a sharp division of labour with the female as full time housewife and the male as primary provider and ultimate authority” (Kimmel & Holler, p. 141). Atraditional or nuclearfamily such as that described by Kimmel and Holler is typically made up of the father,the mother and atleast one child. The relationship between the man and the woman is heterosexual, they are legally married and their children are ideally produced through sexual union rather than adoption (Class Notes, 01/28/14).
In society today there tends to exist a nostalgia for the utopian family life of the past.
Across family life-cycle literature, the arrival of a first child into the marital structure is considered to be one of the most common and key stages a family will experience during its development. Further, it also possesses the potential to be one of the most stressful examples of change within the marital relationship with the experience of having a baby being ranked at 6th out of 102 stressful life events1.
A couple weeks into the school year, she comes to realize that “[she] is [an] outcast”; excluded from all clans and social events because everyone thinks she called the police at Kyle Rodgers’ summer party to break up the fun (Anderson 2). She feels alone and as if no one would listen to what she has to say, therefore she does not attempt to reconnect with old friends, and tell them the truth. After being dumped by her only remaining friend, Heather, Melinda finds herself in quite the predicament; she is now completely and utterly alone. She realizes that she does not even have a ‘disposable’ friend to make her feel better about herself, until her lab partner, David Petrakis begins talking to her more. While conversing with David, she realizes she is finally able to call someone a true friend. She asks if he “lectures all [his] friends like [that]” and he responds by saying “only the [friends] I like” (Anderson 159). She no longer feels alone; she is comforted, knowing that she has someone to lean back on if she feels sad or is in need of assistance. Melinda’s character shows growth and development, as she starts the year with no friends and no social life, though by the end of the year, she has finally succeeded in making a true
Family, a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. Although family is a concretely defined term, the idea of family varies from person to person. But, what makes a family? For those who are surrounded by loving blood relatives, for those who have never known the one to grant them life, for those who have left their blood behind for a more loving and nurturing environment, what can commonly define a family? Family is something defined by the individual. Family includes those who you have come to love, whether platonically or romantically, those you have suffered with, those you have come to respect, and most importantly those you have cared for and in turn have cared for you. To one that could mean people who
As we know, the family life cycle refers to different stages of person’s life from childhood to retirement. In each stage, people face challenges in the family life that allow them to build or gain new skills. No one can pass through those stages smoothly and without concerns with financially problems, disease and issues from family members. Rather, the lifespan cycle means people development process from prenatal to late adulthood. The similarities are both of them had physical and mental development, also meet the different challenges in the different stages. What is more, I believe that family members are indispensable element could affect people life, whatever in the family life cycle or the lifespan cycle.
For my research topic I chose to write on the effects of expectation. The expectations of one’s family and one’s self can have a major influence on his/ her life. When some tries to live up to a high expectation it can cause the individual a great deal of stress. Therefore, the question the question I am researching is “Should family members- parents, grandparent, aunts or uncles- set high educational, relational, and moral expectations for their children?” In order to find information on this topic I acquired two articles from the University of South Carolina Library website. The first article is titled “High expectations for higher education perceptions of college and experiences of stress prior to and through college career.” This article
Family structure can greatly impact the day-to-day activities of a family. A family with one parent may have a very different dynamic than one with two parents, or possibly even more parents. It is no surprise that these differences exist and families and that one’s family impacts their way of life. However, does it make a significant difference? Or is it simply a difference in how people react to their situations. That is what I wanted to learn from this assignment.
How can a simple six letter word be so complicated to define? Family is a single word that is open to many interpretations depending on the individual. If you try to condense this ideal to a single clinical definition you end up excluding numerous members of society. What comes to mind when you think of the word family? While in the most broken down and literal sense, family means a relative with a blood or legal bond, the word family can encompass blood relations, adoptions, and even intentional relationships such as friendships. Economies, cultures, and backgrounds can further differentiate what one’s perception of a family is. For many people, including me, a family is so much more. It is the amount of commitment, cohesiveness, and importance
Everyone seems to define family differently, however, the significance of family is the same. For you, family means everything. You can always count on your parents and siblings for help and love. Family is very valuable and important to you and should never be taken for granted. No one can deny that family is the foundation of our generation. A family is where we all start our life journey and helps us grow to be successful throughout our lives.
There are so many different types of family relationships. Whatever form a family takes; it is an important part of everyone’s life. My family has played an important role in my life. Good family relationships serve as a foundation to interactions with others. Supportive families will help children to thrive. The quality of the family relationship is more important than the size of the family. Making the relationships priority, communication, and providing support for one another is key to developing relationships. Family relationships are what make up our world today; they shape the ways that we see things and the ways that we do things.