Family Values and Frankenstein :: Frankenstein essays

Family Values and Frankenstein My greatest memories are of my mother making pear pies, my father letting me help to fix the bathroom sink, and sitting down to dinner together. We don't always get along or support each other when we need it most, but I consider myself lucky to have two parents who love me and try to give me what I need to survive in this world. While my family is not perfect I appreciate what I do have in comparison to the monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. With no father, mother, love, or acceptance, the monster is cast out into a world which judges him on his hideous appearance. He has no one to learn from or look to for advice, like I and most other American children do. Times have changed since our parents were children and families today face different challenges than those of a decade or two ago. Over the past few decades the concept of family has been revolutionized. A "traditional" family no longer consists of two parents of the opposite sex in which the father is the "breadwinner," and the mother stays at home to raise the children. Today's family is as diverse as the world it must exist in. The important thing about today's family is that success does not just happen; a strong family takes effort. The "secret" to attaining a strong family, according to the 1985 book Secrets of Strong Families, by Nick Stinnett and John Defrain, involves commitment, appreciation, communication, time, spiritual wellness, and coping ability (14). While this seems like a six-step program, it makes a lot of sense. The family must come first in family, thus, commitment. Sexual fidelity, traditions, and sacrifice make a family stronger by creating close ties with the family members (Defrain and Stinnett 21-39). Appreciation involves the children doing the dishes every once in a while, surprising your wife with flowers, or a trip to McDonalds. Communication is key in any type of relationship, especialy in a family. No one wants to be alone in this world, and communication helps to build a sense of belonging and solve problems (Defrain and Stinnett 62-63). Spending "quality" time together is important for a family.