Order 1290080: Essay 2
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name Ms Turbee
Course ENC 1102
Date 11/11/2018
Nature and Nurture in Family Relationship
A relationship that exists between a parent and his or her child is the most important one in life. The reason behind its importance is because it consists of an unconditional love believed to last forever. Value and respect very important in such a relationship taking into account that it applies to both the child and the parent hence peace on each end. As depicted in the two stories, both relationships face a challenge due to disagreements which is very normal. Such challenge can only be handled in a peaceful way but not through dictatorship. The characters in the short stories, " Marriage is a Private Affair" make this point clear. The main focus of the short story is directed towards the relationship between a son and his father (Achebe 50). The father to the son does not approve of his fiancé which is like the theme of the story.
An old man well known as the Nnaemeka's father is preserves his name by ensuring that he takes deep care about the customs passed on in his family through previous generations (Achebe 51). This happens to the point where he makes an arrangement for his son to get married to a girl he does not love. It is in such context when the son clearly states that he does not love her but in response the father tells Nnaemeka that nobody had accused him of loving her. In both stories, the author clearly brings out conflicts and disagreements that come as a result of ideological differences as well as change between child and parent. In the story "Marriage is a Privilege Affair", modern construction of love and marriage is reflected by Nnaemeka's ideologies on marriage and courtship. The two stories base their argument on the theme of parent-child relationship (Achebe 52).
Parents from both stories raised their children in particular ways but they developed otherwise leaving such teachings due to some external forces. For the case of " Everyday Use," the girl named Dee is seen to be influenced by her friends during teenage years (Tate 310). In the current years she is still influence but this time round an increased sense of patriotism towards Africa is responsible for all what happens. In the "Marriage is a Private Affair," the new life of Nnaemaeka in Lagos and the pride of he has of being Nene influences him (Achebe 53).
For the both stories, the bond between parent and child becomes loose but all the disagreements are solved in different ways. In the "Marriage is a Private Affair," the parent is compassionate and shows acceptance while in "Everyday Use" the parent here is seen as stubborn and shows tough love (Tate 310). Conflicts can and will exist between generations due to various reasons. Among them is the issue about different system of beliefs, the environment and also time among others. Just in the same way as how the two stories are displayed, it is clear that with the right amount of time, even relationships which are strained can be healed. Such a conclusion is fully supported by the parent-child relationship portrayed in the two stories.
Works cited
Achebe, Chinua. " Marriage is a Private Affair." Girls at War and Other Stories; London: Heineman (1982): 50-53
Tate, Claudia C. "" Everyday Use" by Alice Walker," African American Review 30.2 (1996): 308-310