Susan Griffin's Our Secret and Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel

“Our Secret” by Susan Griffin and “Are You My Mother?” by Alison Bechdel both present the issues of how control over all aspects of childhood continues to affect the victim much beyond childhood. Childhood is a time where children definitely need guidance, but it is also a time where the child should make some of their own choices. Children are naïve and see life in a more creative way than adults do. The dreams of a child may be far-fetched, such as becoming an astronaut or becoming the doctor who cures cancer, but these dreams should never be terminated by their parents. The childhood curiosity is what makes children better learners, and ultimately see the world without all of the dangers and flaws that adults see. Both parents in each of these novels deprived their children of the creativity that comes from being a child. A former U.S. lady once expressed her thoughts on parenting children by stating, "Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."

In “Our Secret” Heinrich Himmler is named after a prince, whom his father believes he can be like one day, as long as he makes the right decisions. Heinrich’s father controls what he writes in his journal, making Heinrich leave out emotions. Gebhard’s intimidating demeanor is exposed through the line, “He has the face of one who looks for mistakes. He is vigilant” (242). Growing up in a household where the only thing Heinrich’s father did was search for his mistakes must have been unsettling and stres...