The Effects Of Parents In The Wingfield Family

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A child needs both of their parents’ love and affection while growing up. A child that grows up with both has a higher chance of being a more stable person. However, not all children have this luxury; some children are born into dysfunctional families that consist of only one parent like the children in the Wingfield family. “A study of 1,977 children age 3 and older living with a residential father or father figure found that children living with married biological parents had significantly fewer externalizing behavioral problems than children living with at least one non-biological parent” (Consequences of Fatherlessness). The absent parent in the Wingfield family affected everyone in the family, not only the children. The absent father, …show more content…

Children who are fatherless are at a greater risk of drug and alcohol abuse (Consequences of Fatherlessness 3). If it was not bad enough, Tom was already at risk of becoming an alcoholic since the day his dad walked out the house. In the film, Tom is seen coming home late at night drunk. He leaves for long periods of times and comes back home really late and drunk. Amada notices and she asks him where he has been and he replies that he was out in the movies (Numen). When asked why, he says that the movies give him adventure which is something that he does not get to experience at the shoe warehouse. “The movies are a temporary escape from his boring daily routine at the Continental Shoemakers” (Pleasant Disguise 50). Amanda does not believe him and becomes afraid that Tom is becoming more like his father. Tom actually admits to being like his father when he is having a conversation with Jim the night he went over to their apartment. “I’m like my father. The bastard son of a bastard!” (Numen). He says this after he discusses with Jim his plans to leave his family in search for adventure like the people in the movies. Tom finally decides to leave them after Amanda yells at him for Jim’s engagement. This makes Tom furious because he was unaware that Jim was engaged. As he leaves he tells them that he is leaving to the movies, but this time is a lie because he never comes back

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