second essential question
The second question being considered during this unit is: What does the way women are depicted in contemporary fiction say about our culture and identity? Evaluate the purpose of presenting women in this way in your novel.
The way women are depicted in Child of my Heart says that the society and culture suffer from women who tend to neglect important duties such as being positive role models, compassionate mothers, and retaining dignity. Some women in the novel, such as Daisy’s mother and Flora’s show that they are ineffective because of the neglect for their duties as mothers. Used in contrast to this Theresa is a positive figure in both Daisy and Flora’s lives. Theresa gives us hope that in a society full of broken families, and children hurt by ineffective mothers, there is always someone who cares. Theresa acts like an escape for both Daisy and Flora, hours spent with her are hours where they can be themselves and feel special. However, we also see that women are depicted as individuals who are extremely susceptible to temptation, and unfaithful. Anna the cook for Flora’s family constantly has affairs with the husband of the family, the artist. In turn, the artist’s wife is unfaithful, leaving for the city for weeks at a time. Also Theresa finds herself caught in the temptation with the old artist. This tells us that there are always two sides of the women in our culture. The purpose of Theresa in the novel is to show how every girl in our society should be treated, with respect and praise, so each girl can feel special, no matter what.
I felt surprised by the ending, what do you guys think? I thought it seemed sort of sudden, and a strange ending since we have seen Theresa, such a positive influence to the girls suddenly doing things no one expected. Thoughts?
