Stereotypes In Hope Springs

1917 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Positive impacts of marriage

Hope Springs takes place in a town that ironically gives hope to to struggling couples. The couple, Kay and Arnold, have been married for 31 years. The only catch is they act like roommates rather than husband and wife. They do not touch each other, they hardly speak to each other, and there is no intimacy or connection between them. Kay and Arnold have two older children who are married that still come to visit, but no longer live with them. Stereotypes, steps to living longer, women’s initiative, confidants and companions, the effect of becoming empty nesters, and a women’s self concepts all play a role in Kay and Arnold’s relationship while there is a lack of some and a surplus of others. There is large quantity of stereotypes - from …show more content…

In a session with Dr. Feld, Kay speaks about her and Arnold’s last time having sexual intercourse. She recounts the exact day and the exact season because it was the day their son left. As Kay speaks more about this with Dr. Feld, it is obvious that she had experienced “empty nest syndrome”. This syndrome is a phenomenon that explains a midlife depression experienced when a child leaves the home (Hiller and Barrow, 2014). On the contrary, this concept can also be used to describe a more positive outlook on becoming empty nesters and some couples take this time to do the things they previously could not, because of their obligation to their family, or they take them time to focus on their relationship with their spouse for improvement and renewal. Unfortunately, Kay expresses and experiences the more negative aspect of this syndrome when she explains that after their last child left, she felt like her and Arnold had nothing else to reach forward, there were no more milestones she felt they could hit. Arnolds reasoning for why him and Kay no longer shared a bed at night was that he threw out his back right after their son left and it was more comfortable for him to sleep alone. However, five years later after his back had been healed for sometime, it was his personal choice that kept him and Kay apart at night. The closer a couple sleeps together, the happier the couple is in their relationship. If a couple sleeps more than 30 inches away from their significant other, the happiness in the relationship declines from 94% to 68% (Passary, 2014). Not sleeping in the same bed with each other takes away sexual vulnerability reducing the intimacy between Kay and Arnold. The lack of sexual intercourse and intimacy between Arnold and Kay may also be the cause of why Arnold is so angry and they are not companions and confidants for one

Show More
Related

  • How Does The Direct Characterization Of Mr Waythorn

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ng. She examines the issue of divorce and remarrying, using relationships as a tool for social climbing, she also examines the insecurities that arise when a man discovers that the definition he placed on the woman in his life isn’t as realistic as he would like to think. She subtly addresses the issue of man’s desire to own and define women they are in a relationship with, while trying to control any of her social interactions that could potentially threaten his sense of ownership.

    Read More

  • Divorce In Barbara Kingsolver's Essay 'Stone Soup'

    262 Words  | 1 Pages

    Society considers divorce as a failure and a destruction to a family unit when in reality divorce should be considered normal considering that the majority of families are blended or single parent homes. Barbara Kingsolver, an american novelist and essayist states her thoughts about divorce, blended and broken families in her essay titled “Stone Soup.” She argues that no family is perfect and that all families have problems. She uses examples, statistics and metaphors to persuade her readers of what a true family is. She informs us based on her own life experiences: her values, changes, and choices which ended in her divorce.

    Read More

  • Appalachian Stereotypes

    1395 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Excuse me miss, but you have the cutest little accent," the pizza delivery guy said.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In A League Of Their Own

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    The film “A League of Their Own,” depicts a fictionalized tale of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. This league was started during World War II when many of the Major Leagues Biggest stars were drafted to the war. MLB owners decided to start this league with hopes of making money while the men were overseas fighting. Traditional stereotypes of women in sports were already in force before the league even begins. One of the scouts letts Dottie, one of the films main characters she is the perfect combination of looks as well as talent. The scout even rejects one potential player because she is not as pretty as the league is looking for even though she is a great baseball player. The player, Marla’s father said if she was a boy she would be playing for the Yankee’s. Eventually Mara’s father is able to convince the scout to take Marla to try outs because he raised her on his own after her mother died. Her father says it is his fault his daughter is a tomboy. In this case the film reinforces the traditional stereotype that mothers are in charge of raising their daughters and teaching them to be a lady, where fathers are incapable of raising girls to be anything other than a tomboy. The focus on beauty also reinforces the traditional stereotype that men will only be interested in women’s sports when the females participating in

    Read More

  • Preston County Stereotypes

    523 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ever since I was five, I have lived in Preston County, WV. First of all, a lot of people do not know where Preston County is. Second of all, there are more people than I would like to admit who do not even know that West Virginia is a state. Therefore, there exists many stereotypes, unique qualities, and misunderstandings for my region. I will explain three characteristics of Preston County that have made an impression on my life.

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotypes In Pleasantville Betty Parker

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    The human species is qualified as a man and women. Categorically, gender roles relative to the identifying role are characterized as being either masculine or feminine. In the article “Becoming Members Of Society: Learning The Social Meanings Of Gender by Aaron H. Devor, says that “children begin to settle into a gender identity between the age of eighteen months and two years (Devor 387). The intricate workings of the masculine and feminine gender roles are very multifaceted and at the same time, very delicate. They are intertwined into our personalities and give us our gender identities (Devor 390). Our society is maintained by social norms that as individuals, we are consciously unaware of but knowingly understand they are necessary to get along out in the public eye which is our “generalized other” and in our inner circle of family and friends which is our “significant others” (Devor 390). Our learned behaviors signify whether our gender

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography: Racial Stereotypes

    1760 Words  | 4 Pages

    As a group, we believe that popular culture does in fact perpetuates stereotypes. Television is a main source of information of popular culture. Television has forever changed how humans have interacted with another and introduce a world of diversity and knowledge. But with this profit, television has also harbored negative aspects. As a group, we studied how racial stereotypes are portrayed in television. In the history of television, different racial and ethnic groups have been widely underrepresented and television itself has been overwhelming represented by white figures. And when racial groups are presented on TV, the characters are often played in limited roles based on stereotypes. A stereotype isn’t necessarily untrue, but it is an assumption based on an incomplete and complex ideas that are oversimplified into something that isn’t what it meant to be, and it’s usually negative. For example, African Americans are often depicted as violent or involved in some kind of criminal activity. Their characters often portrays a person who is always sassy and angry or that isn’t intelligent and won’t succeed in life and inferior to whites in some manner. Asian characters are

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In A Hope In The Unseen

    1689 Words  | 4 Pages

    If one was to walk into a room filled with others that were different in both appearance and behaviour, what might the instinctive reaction of this person be? This question is asked every day in terms of stereotyping, restricting one from the potential connections we might make with people rather than focusing on unimportant labels that may be formed. In the novel A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind, the topic of setting these differences aside becomes a major conflict that the protagonist confronts. The main character, Cedric Lavar Jennings, endures difficult circumstances due to lower social status, racial issues, and the resultant lack of privileges. He justifies his mistrust and skepticism by the hardships he endures.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In The Appalachian Mountains

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today, tourism in the Appalachian Mountains is a popular thing to do. For example, in Gatlinburg Tennessee, more than 11 million visitors come to tour the area each year. However, this area is more than just a tourist trap. By today’s standards, Appalachia is considered a minority. The individuals in this region are looked down upon by cultural, social, and economic standards. They are perceived as uneducated and uncivilized. These stereotypes are influenced by popular culture today. Appalachia is a diverse region due to its people and landforms.

    Read More

  • The Aging Clock Theory In Hope Springs

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    While Arnold, doesn’t feel as if there is anything wrong with their marriage. Arnold, doesn’t seem very interested in Kay and even lacks giving her any attention at all. The

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In The Philadelphia

    705 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play, “The Philadelphia” by David Ives took place in New York at a Restaurant. The main topic of this play was Stereotypes. The type of stereotypes in this play where not the offensive ones, it is the type where there can be a group of friends and they would laugh if it was to come up in their conversations. The three main characters where Al, Mark and the waitress. All three of these characters had a huge roll in the poem. Al was the laid back one from California, he did not realize that he was not in California till the very end. Mark was Al’s friend. Mark was the frazzled that needed guidance and assurance to where he was at. The Waitress was the one that enforced the “Philadelphia” stereotype. In order to make this a successful poem

    Read More

  • Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    People being generalized based on limited and inaccurate information by sources as television, cartoons or even comic books (Tripod). This is a definition that seems to go against many public standards. The above words are the exact definition of stereotypes. Stereotypes as understood from the definition, goes mostly hand in hand with media -- only not the regular meaning of the innocent media we know. Media propaganda is the other form of media that is rather described as media manipulation. In this paper, the following will be discussed: first, how stereotypes of ethnic groups function in propaganda, why does it function so well, and finally, the consequences of these stereotypes on the life of Egyptians in particular in society. A fair examination will be conducted on this example of stereotypes through clarification examples and research results from researches conducted from reliable sources. The real association between Egyptians’ stereotypes and propaganda discussed in this paper shall magnify the association of stereotypes and propaganda in general.

    Read More

  • Relationship and Attraction: The Attraction-Similarity Model

    1474 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lavner, J. A., & Bradbury, T. N. (2012). Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?. Journal Of Family Psychology, 26(1), 1-10. doi:10.1037/a0025966

    Read More

  • Sociological Effects of Divorce

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    Girgis, George, & Anderson (2011) define marriage as the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive commitment to each other of the type that is naturally (inherently) fulfilled by bearing and rearing children together. These marriages are intended to last eternity and are partially accomplished by raising children together, yet four of every ten marriages lead to divorce and of these divorces, 35% involve children (Ambert, 2009). Children tend to blame themselves for the divorce and are usually caught in the crossfire. These divorces lead to both stress and depression for children and without a strong sense of family, children will have a huge disadvantage over children with a stable healthy family (Arreola, Hartounian, Kurges, Maultasch, & Retana, 2013). Without the ability to cope with the stress of a divorce, children can be effected in multiple ways including a change in mentality, unacceptable behavioural traits and both short and long term emotional factors that will ultimately lead to a critical issue in child development.

    Read More

  • Essay On Empty Nest Syndrome

    2701 Words  | 6 Pages

    A 48 year old mother of two, 21 and 18, has just sent her youngest daughter off to college. For over twenty years she has been introduced as “Krista’s mom” or “Gary’s wife.” After her second child she made the decision to be a full time mother, and now twenty two years later, she feels her purpose and identity as a parent is over. It's natural for a parent to feel sad and dejected when their children leave home. However, it is when feelings of anxiety, loss of identity or purpose, rejection, persistent worrying, and stress are signs of a deeper issue known as Empty Nest Syndrome. This syndrome is usually a result of children growing up and becoming independent, causing an individual to feel emptiness in he or she’s life. While Empty Nest Syndrome is not a clinical condition it can prompt mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Many parents spend 18 years or more fully devoting their lives to the well-being of their children. It is when children no longer need their constant care that some parents can feel desolate and directionless. Although the world is changing, in many cases women are the primary caregivers of children, consequently women have an increased probability of suffering from empty nest syndrome. While the majority of women are affected, men have also reported similar feelings of loss regarding the departure of their children. Furthermore, it has been proven that some fathers expressed feeling unprepared for the emotional transition that comes with their child leaving the nest. Due to most father’s roles as the provider, men reported feeling more guilt over lost opportunities and they desired to be more involved in their children's lives before they left home.

    Read More

More about Stereotypes In Hope Springs

Open Document