Overlooked and Disrespected: How Children are Treated by Adults Young children have active imaginations and need time to express themselves whether it is through their words, their actions, or through fun and games. However, more often than not adults deprive children of the opportunity to do so. They are hurt in the process and grow to treat others the way they have been treated; poorly. In Anton Chekhov’s “A Trifle from Life” the mother’s boyfriend takes advantage of and disrespects a young boy named Alyosha when Alyosha tells a story to him. Similarly, in Margaret Atwood’s poem “Dutiful”, the protagonist reflects on her childhood and how the adults always control her. Adults often overlook children because they care more for themselves …show more content…
They have to maintain a reputation and if something were to happen to their status, things begin to fall apart. Adults are focused on themselves for this reason, and they don’t give enough time and attention to the children around them. Belyaev from “A Trifle from Life” never pays any attention to his girlfriend’s son Alyosha, and he does not have any respect for the child either. Belyaev snitches on Alyosha, and when Alyosha tries to question why he would do such a thing, “Belyaev dismissed him with a wave of his hand, and went on walking up and down” (Chekhov 21). Alyosha is hurt, betrayed and crying, but “[Belyaev] was absorbed in his grievance and was oblivious to the boy’s presence, as he always had been” (Chekhov 21). Belyaev believes he is better than the child, and because he is so caught up in himself, “he, a grown up, serious person had no thought to spare for boys” (Chekhov 21). The only person who sees how Belyaev treats Alyosha is Alyosha himself and he cannot do anything about it. Adults do not hear or pay attention to young children, but the children notices and are emotionally impacted from the treatment they receive. In time, children grow to be just like the adults and trust becomes weak, communication becomes poor, and people’s attitudes chance for the
Woolfe, Zachary. "A World of Childhood Innocence Intersects With a Grown-Up Reality." The New York Times. N.p., 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Children have often been viewed as innocent and innocent may be a nicer way to call children naive. Since children’s lives are so worry free they lack the knowledge of how to transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. Their lack of knowledge may be a large part of their difficulties growing up, which could be a few rough years for many. In books like the boy in the striped pajamas the story is told from the point of view of a little boy, this way we get a full view of how innocent he is. In this book the writer shows the reader first hand how a child viewed the holocaust and how his innocence cost him his life. Then in books like the perks of being a wallflower Charlie is a teen whom is struggling with the transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. In this book the writer gives a first hand look at how difficult it can be to transition into an adolescent. Charlie has many difficulties in this book; he is in search of his identity and how to fit in.
An example of this is examined in Bettelheim’s article as well, stating a parents perspective of the occurrence saying “One day when she was asked to fetch some salt she said as he was doing so, ‘Why do you treat me like Cinderella?’”(pg282) Along with feeling as though they have the right to disobey, comes a correlation with freedom they see their parents express. Drawing upon instances from fellow students, the correspondence can be seen today. Many times parents come home only to express their distaste with something their boss, coworkers, or political figure did, intending their disapproval to be heard for the ears of their spouse. Although these cases of expressing distant seem to only directly influence those is the workforces they describe, such aspects impact the children of said parents as well. Unknowingly to the parents, children pick up and follow in the footsteps of their parents as much so as with the Cindrella story. In a desire to please them they often attempt to become like them, implementing the disrespect their parents have for their authority figures into their very own lives. Sometimes this is can be reflected back on to their teachers, which can be seen as a child “is gradually subjected to even more critical attitudes as he is being
The greatest desire of all is to be important among others, for most children they do not receive this feeling enough. George F. Will once wrote “Childhood is frequently a solemn business for those inside it”. This quote may be interpreted to mean adults see only the bliss of their childhoods, but forget how lugubrious a child’s life can really be, and the hardships of succeeding in life. This quote is proven valid by Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, how she has a somber child hood and adults overlook her struggles. It is also proven true by the conceit, Reading the Obituary Page by Linda Pastan how the adults do not acknowledge the vile treatment of the kids. Dispute the expectations childhood is hard and older generations do not support today’s kids, but only the character that persists through all impediments will adhere to happiness.
“No cost nor labour did I spare” is a phrase every mother lives by. It shows that a mother loves her children so much that she will give anything up just so her children can reach success in life. The way this is written suggests that there was no thought involved in making this decision, the mother did not even think about it for a second, she knew immediately that she would not spare any cost or labor for her child. Anne Bradstreet is the author who wrote this, suggesting that the most important thing in her entire life is her kid’s success in life. In the poem “In Reference to Her Children,” author Anne Bradstreet demonstrates her love for her children by raising her children with pain and care, watching concernedly her children grow up, and wanting to be with them in the afterlife.
I believe that society should treat children who have committed crimes like regular children. Children are a product of their environment and according to the American philosopher/sociologists George Mead; children develop their personality when they are young by mimicking or imitating others. It is easier to teach and influence people when they are younger rather than when they are older. I believe while the child is incarcerated they should be treated like a regular child who needs guidance. This includes schooling, attending regular class sessions, and having homework while being detained. Also, having people who are willing to come and tutor them come to the detention center.
Are adults overprotective of their children? To what point do we protect children? Where should the line be drawn? Along with those questions is how easily children can be influenced by these same adults. Two poets, Richard Wilbur and Billy Collins, express the ideas of how easily children can be manipulated and how sometimes adults think they are protecting their innocent children, when in reality they are not. Wilbur and Collins express these ideas in their poems through numerous literary devices. The literary devices used by Wilbur and Collins expose different meanings and two extremely different end results. Among the various literary devices used, Wilbur uses imagery, a simple rhyme scheme and meter, juxtaposition of the rational and irrational, and a humorous tone to represent the narrator’s attempt to “domesticate” irrational fears. Conversely Collins uses symbols, historical interpretations, imagery, diction and other literary devices to depict the history teacher’s effort to shield his students from reality. In the poems, “A Barred Owl,” by Richard Wilbur, and “The History Teacher,” by Billy Collins, both poets convey how adults protect and calm children from their biggest, darkest fears and curiosities.
The mistreatment of children is classified by four types of actions: physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect. Although, in recent years several steps have been taken to prevent the maltreatment of children it seems that child abuse is still prevalent in today's society. Countless children around the world suffer from some form of abuse and in many cases the same child experiences more than one. There is no exact number of victims because it difficult to measure the exact amount of children going through abuse. Child abuse almost always occurs in private, and because abuse is often hidden from view and its victims may be too young or too frightened to speak out, experts in child welfare suggest that its true prevalence
Parent/Child relationships are very hard to establish among individuals. This particular relationship is very important for the child from birth because it helps the child to be able to understand moral and values of life that should be taught by the parent(s). In the short story “Teenage Wasteland”, Daisy (mother) fails to provide the proper love and care that should be given to her children. Daisy is an unfit parent that allows herself to manipulated by lacking self confidence, communication, and patience.
Throughout history the concept of innocence in literature has been a topic in which author’s have held an obsession with. According to Harold Bloom, the loss of innocence has played a large role in western literature since the Enlightenment when man was said to be initially good and then corrupted only by his institutions. (Bloom 6) The institution in which Bloom speaks of is nothing more then society. Society is what is believed to be the cause for the loss of innocence in children. Bloom has stated that a return to the childhood mindset would eliminate the social problems in which people suffer. This is unerringly why the cause of many physiological problems can be traced back to a problem or unsettlement in one’s childhood. (Bloom 7) The history of innocence continues further back in history as it is said that the first encounter of loss of innocence or “original sin” was from Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. (Bloom 7) These historical events and ideas are what influence the works of authors from the 19th century to modern day.
According to Ivan, all adults, through one way or another have lost the innocence they had as a child and it can never be regained again. Ivan is distressed with losing his innocence; he believes that if he consents to a complex agreement of the unfair suffering of children, he will be giving up the last of his innocence. Dostoevsky’s theory is that if one can overcome a difficulty, one could see pure honesty within them. In The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan doubts his faith in God due to the suffering of children. Ivan tells Alyosha about an illegitimate child who ends up working for shepherds who don’t even allow him to eat the mash for the pigs. They overwork him until he becomes into a bitter human being. Ivan continues with a story about a seven-year-old girl, a "poor, defenseless creature"(Brothers Karamazov, book 5/ch 6) who is constantly beaten by her mother. I think Ivan is scared of another person becoming like his father. He doesn’t want anyone to go through what he went through as a child because he doesn’t want anyone to deal with the pain or neglect that he
My thesis statement is that children’s innocence enables them to cope in difficult situations. Children generally have a tendency to lighten the mood in sad situations because of their innocent nature. They turn even the saddest situations to mild, innocent situations. This is evident when Marjane says “these stories had given me new ideas for games”, (Satrapi, 55). By saying this she refers to her uncle’s stories of how he and other prisoners were tortured in prison. Stories of torture have never been easy to hear even for adults but Marjane so innocentl...
Almost every day, we encounter young children in public places with their parents. While one may not sit and observe the relationship between the parent and child, some may wonder how the parent interacts with the child when at home or in a different public setting. Depending on the level of treatment we observe while in the presence of the pair, one may assume a particular type of treatment occurs in the private sector of that child’s life based solely on how the child is treated in the public sector. Understanding that most parents do not want to expose their homes or children, it is difficult to determine the degree of interaction that truly occurs in private settings.
Undoubtedly, losing one of the parents or both of them could be nothing but a devastating chock for a child. Perhaps this is why many writers, during the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, deployed orphan characters as a didactic medium to convince the young readers to leave their mothers' lap and to journey in this wide world alone. However, though this goal may sound promising, the messages, the values and the social roles included in this category of literature may burry any possible didactic discourse and foreground just stereotypes.
In the poetry of William Blake and William Wordsworth, this difference between children and adults and their respective states of mind is articulated and developed. As a person ages, they move undeniably from childhood to adulthood, and their mentality moves with them. On the backs of Blake and Wordsworth, the reader is taken along this journey.