Life is filled with many relationships, including relationships with parents, siblings, close friends, and significant others. Over the years, these bonds may change or even come to an end, but by learning the characteristics of a healthy relationship, it is possible to preserve those connections
that mean the most. Qualities such as loyalty, forgiveness, and unselfishness can be the defining traits that make relationships with family and friends into healthy relationships that last a lifetime.
Literature offers many examples of successful relationships based on loyalty, giving readers the opportunity to learn from the examples of others which traits will help them to maintain positive connections. One excellent literary relationship
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is that of Jane Eyre with her childhood friend Helen Burns in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. At their boarding school, Jane is unfairly believed to be a lying and misbehaving girl, and many of her schoolmates shun her.
Despite Jane’s reputation, Helen shows true loyalty to Jane by bringing food to her when the teachers have not allowed her to eat and by being her friend even when no one else will be. Because of this loyalty, Helen and Jane form a bond that would have lasted throughout their lives if Helen had not died at a young age. Still, Jane’s loyalty to Helen continues as she remembers their friendship even years after Helen’s death: “I thought of Helen Burns, recalled her dying words” (Brontë). This lasting attachment is due entirely to the faithfulness shown to Jane by Helen when they were children. Their story is evidence of how valuable loyalty can be between two people.
A natural result of being loyal is being willing to forgive when friends or family make a mistake. No person can avoid mistakes, so if one friend is not willing to forgive another, the relationship is bound to come to an end sooner or later. I once had a friend who would not forgive me when I made an error that offended her, even though I realized my mistake and apologized. Because she was too angry to forgive, she and I, who were once very close, now rarely speak to each other. People who have lasting friendships are able to recognize that no one is perfect and that in order
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to make relationships work, you have to forgive. For example, I had an experience with another friend, Sara, in which I was the one to take offense. Unlike my unforgiving friend, I decided that my relationship with Sara was more important than holding onto my hurt feelings, and I forgave Sara for unintentionally saying something that hurt me. Now, that misunderstanding is basically forgotten, and my relationship with Sara is as strong as ever. Some offenses may be too extreme for forgiveness, but in most situations, a relationship where both people are willing to forgive is one that will last. In addition to loyalty and forgiveness, another important aspect of a healthy relationship is unselfishness.
It can sometimes be difficult to give up the things that we want, but in order to keep a relationship healthy, there has to be a balance in satisfying the wants of both people. My parents are a great example to me of a healthy relationship where both people are unselfish. When they go out to the movies together each week, they alternate between seeing a “chick flick” and an action movie. Although my dad would rather see fights and explosions, he realizes that my mom would prefer to see a love story. They worked out this system so that both of their desires could be met. Both of my parents are able to enjoy their experience together because of the unselfish compromise they have reached. They care about making each other happy instead of just themselves, and that helps them to have a healthy, lasting
relationship. Examples of relationships in literature, in my own life, and in my family have proved to me that the most important parts of a healthy relationship are loyalty, forgiveness, and unselfishness. Some bonds are destined to break, but most can be saved by learning the qualities that belong to lasting connections and by following the examples of positive relationships that can be seen all around us every day.
Examples of loyalty can be found in many pieces of classic literature such as _Don Quixote_, _The Odyssey_, and _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_. Many characters in the stories profess their loyalty to other characters. Some of them fail in their loyalty tests while others prevail. I found loyalty to be an underlying theme in all three pieces of literature covered in this paper. The examples provided should prove the theme of loyalty.
A very obvious example of loyalty is, Penelope. She is faithful to Odysseus for over 20 years and does not give up for long time. Even when the suitors came to her house and ate her food and overstayed their welcome she did not budge and still stayed faithful to Odysseus for the whole time he was gone. She told the suitors that when she finished her tapestry she would choose who she wants to marry, but every night she would undo a piece of the tapestry just so it would take longer and it would give Odysseus more time to come back just so she would not have to choose one of the suitors.
The relationship between the husband and wife seems initially to be perfect. They both show each other expressions of love. There is understanding, harmony, financial security, and good communication between them. The couple spends a lot of time together, discussing future plans, and talking about the good moments they had in the past. However, behind all of this positive interaction between the two of them is something they are both not able
Loyalty is a hard quality to find in a friend, so once loyalty is found that friend is usually in it for life. Faraway friends are the ones we find ourselves turning to in our darkest hour of need and the ones that we would step into battle with. Marion Winik perfectly explains the importance
Never become complacent and let my interpersonal relationship becomes stagnant, which can lead to resentment and conflict. Weighing the cost verses the rewards may not always be the solution for my relationship; simply, because the cost may ultimately outweigh the rewards. The need for autonomy can have reverse effects and may not lead to the closeness that’s expected. In, turn the very thing that, I try to be open about in my relationship can inadvertently cause me to protect my feelings in the
Jane in her younger years was practically shunned by everyone and was shown very little love and compassion, from this throughout her life she searches for these qualities through those around her. Due to Jane’s mother’s disinheritance she was disowned by Mrs. Reed and her children, and was treated like a servant consistently reminded that she lacked position and wealth.
Loyalty is one of the only things that can hold the bonds of family and friends.
We can compare this to our friendships in the modern area, which are also based on honesty and trustworthiness. Many times friendships are based on how we perceive each other. However, people often withhold information or lie outright, as Iago did with Othello. People can choose to portray themselves in a positive way, which makes it harder to have an authentic friendship with them. A good example of this is how people are portrayed on social media sites. What people usually post on social media are good things happening in their life. Many people choose to hide the bad and ugly stuff to make themselves look good. They also can make fake accounts and lie outright about who they actually are. This can make views of friendships on either side be different, just like the friendship Shakespeare created between Othello and
The story of Jane Eyre can be seen as the story of a woman’s search for love. As a neglected orphan, Jane spends her childhood longing for someone to love her. When she becomes a young woman, she is at last offered the love she has long dreamed of. However, Jane chooses to reject this love. Jane’s rejection is founded in her deep and sincere morality and spirituality. Jane’s moral conscience has been shaped early in her life, and it is her principles that guide her through the difficult paths of life.
The chapter talks about the different types of relationships you can have and how to keep them healthy. The relationships that the chapter covers are friendship relationships, love relationships, family relationships, workplace relationships, and the dark side of interpersonal relationships. Friendship relationships are relationships with another person that is “interpersonal” (DeVito), “mutually productive and characterized by mutual positive regard” (DeVito). Love relationships are a next level of friendship relationships. Love is known as the most important types of relationship, because it is a natural human desire to be loved. There are six types of love relationships; eros, ludus, storge, pragma, mania, and agape. Family relationships are the relationships between you and the people you are related to by blood and marriage. Family relationships are known as primary relationships, primary relationships are the relationships that are most prominent in your life. Workplace relationships are the relationships that you have in your workplace, with your co-workers and bosses through networking and mentoring. The dark side to interpersonal relationships is that there are negative aspects to having relationships. These aspects are jealousy, bullying and violence among other things. All of these relationships are affected by culture, gender, and
trust. Growing up, they always reminded me that I was a reflection of them and that statement has
As shown in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, love can often lead to a life of anguish; even so, the experience is worth the pain. Jane’s adoration for both Mr. Rochester and Helen helped her grow as a person; they gave her hope for a brighter future. When her faith is at its climax, she loses them and is forced to endure the agony of resentment, regret, and solitude. Even so, love is a powerful emotion that can influence anyone given time and devotion and it should be cherished, appreciated and pursued no matter the consequences or the reprecussions.
One of the most important details in a friendship is to never leave or forsake the other. A friend is also loyal, for example in the movie Lord of the Rings, Froto and Sam Wise had a wonderful fellowship. They lived in peace and in one accord. Also in the movie, gandalf sent froto on a mission. Froto was scared and he didn’t want to go on the journey by himself.
Relationships, especially close and trusting relationships, are very important for the positive, social and psychological growth of the individuals involved in the relationship. In our world, people in close relationships desire physical contact, emotional support, acceptance, and love. These traits and feelings are part of human nature, and people strive for these types of interpersonal relationships in order to fulfill the void in people’s lives and, above all, to make sense of live through trust, sharing, and caring. During my high school experience, I have met many interesting people in the classroom, as well as in sporting events. I made many new friends in sporting events and during school. Although none of these relationship ever turned into an intimate relationship, each relationship had different turning points. Mark Knapp suggest that interpersonal relationships develop through several stages. My relationship with my best friend, Sisalee, has gone through the coming together stages initiating, experimenting, intensifying, and integrating.
“Relationships are what make up our world today, they shape the ways we see things and the way that we do things, relationships affect how we see the world today”. I believe supporting what your partner does, having a great sum of trust and showing your affections towards your partner is what will make a healthy relationship great.