A Literary Analysis Of Carley's 'Foster Child'

Literary Analysis

When you hear the phrase “foster child”, what does that mean? Do you see it as an unfortunate child who got taken in by a lovely family? Do you take it as the happy ending that was always meant to be? Well in this case, it’s both. Carley has lived with her mother her entire life. She’s pretty much gotten used to staying home by herself every night, trying to figure out how to do her homework without any help. But then one day, Carley’s mother got hurt. For the time being, she wasn’t well enough to take care of her daughter. The only option for Carley was to become a foster child. At first, Carley was resistant because, well, who wouldn’t be if they were about to become part of a family they didn’t even know? But after a while, Carley began to enjoy waking up to the sounds of toy fire trucks and the smell of bacon. She began to relish the thought of knowing there would be people who cared about her, who were willing to stay home from work if she wasn’t feeling well. But all good things must come to an end. Eventually, Carley’s mother was well enough to take care of her again. Back to the typical, estranged relationship everything went. Living with the Murphy’s allowed Carley to feel appreciated for the first time in her life, but the

It was something she’d never felt before, sort of a combination between affection and attachment towards the Murphy’s. She didn’t know it yet, but it was love. The only thing Carley knew for sure was that she didn’t want to leave. She’d finally found a family that she felt she belonged in. “‘Well’, I say slowly, ‘I’d… I’d do anything for you, ya know’.” This shows that Carley feels such a strong connection towards Mrs. Murphy, toward all of the Murphy’s that she allows herself to open up in a way she’d never done before, just to show them how much she cares and how much she never wants to