Unlock document.
This document is partially blurred.
Unlock all pages and 1 million more documents.
Get Access
Alma Nicole Cradic
English 112
Ms. Gilliam
June 22, 2014
Relationships Between Mothers and Their Children: Life Circumstances and the Effects
They Have
Mothers are often thought to be the caretakers, and the source of love and comfort
for their children. However, when mothers are left on their own with little to no help
from the fathers, they are left to fend for themselves and their children, and instead of
being able to always give love and comfort, they become absent much of the time in
order to work to support the family, and/or they rely on their older children to pick up the
slack and help look after the younger children. Also, while the mother works hard and
tries her best to provide for her family and give them what they need, they still often lead
very hard lives with little to no money. The mother cannot be blamed for this, since she
is doing what is necessary for her family and herself to survive, but the children
inevitably suffer in the process. The results are varied, depending on the child and what
they decide to do with their lives. Some may leave as soon as possible and totally leave
their family and the responsibilities that they should never have had behind, as shown in
Brent Staples’ essay, “The Runaway Son”. Other children may grow to be distant and
remote from their mothers and eventually leave them behind as well, as is the case in
Tillie Olsen’s, “I Stand Here Ironing” and Alice Walker’s, “Everyday Use”. By
examining the relationships between the mothers and their children in these literary
works and acknowledging the situations in which the mothers found themselves, the
effect that life’s circumstances can have on the relationships between mothers and their
children is illustrated,.
In Staples’ “The Runaway Son”, Staples recalls his childhood and the way that if
effected him even into his adulthood. He came from a very poor African American
family with nine children. They moved a lot, and were always late paying their bills.
Because his father was an alcoholic who was often absent and his mother did not know
how to manage very well on her own, Staples became the responsible person in the
family. Although he was a child himself, he looked after his younger siblings after his
older sister ran away, and was the person his mother expected to complete errands, such
as begging bill collectors to keep their electricity on or maxing out the family’s credit line
at grocery stores before going on to the next one. The only relationship this boy had with
