The Mother-Daughter Relationship in A Taste of Honey

The failure of adults is an important theme Toni Morrison shows all readers in The Bluest Eye because the failures of adults affect children. One example that shows how the failures of adults affect children in this novel is through Geraldine. Geraldine fails to love her son and parent well. Geraldine is a middle class woman who is married and has a son named Junior. She sees herself as a “colored person” rather than a “nigger” because she hates the blackness in her and fears the differences of these two interpretations.

The power of financial stability is dangerous to toy around with; one could work their selves to death just to earn a dollar. In the beginning of the story the author introduces the setting as being a beautiful home that is made cold by the lack of love of the parents, specifically the mother. “She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them” (Lawrence, 2007, p. 493). It is the mother’s lack of security within her own life that portrays the same feelings to her children. She feels the pressure of not having the financial stability to support her home, children, and lifestyle; therefore she resents her children and her husband.

Although she too is insulted by Hamlet because of her femininity (“get thee to a nunnery, why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” (3.1.313-314)), she is a weak character because of her family structure (a brother and a father) and the men in her life. Hamlet and Polonius have such a significant power on her character and her life that her death is the very result of these two men. Shakespeare makes Ophelia an unfortunate character, whose demise comes from actually obeying her father’s wishes. Furthermore, while Hamlet is sexist towards his mother, Gertrude either intentionally or mistakenly saves her son’s life by drinking from the poisoned pearl cup. She goes against her husband’s warning, “Gertrude, do not drink / I will I beg you pardon me,” (5.2.287-88) and for the first time in the play, gains confidence to act according to her own will.

Another reason the older sister is jealous of Stella –Rondo is because she never appreciates what others do for her. Stella-Rondo has a tendency to mistreat the things that she gets from people and her parents. For instance, in the short story the narrator mentions “she always had anything in the world she wanted and then she’d throw it away” (437). When the older sees that Stella-Rondo throws away the good things that she receives from her parents she gets upset with her younger sister. The older sister thinks that is unfair that she can have anything she wants, but she chooses not to appreciate or take care of the good things her parents give.

Her fragility, her inability to fend for herself, and her self- deception have brought her to madness. The representative of the new man, Stanley, is more ape than knight. But Blanche's line is earnest in that it shows her terrible loneliness. For so long, she has known only strangers; young girl in a house full of the dying, and then a woman losing her looks seeking protection from callous men. Her tragedy will for the most part be forgotten.

One of the times being when Constance thinks of someone buying her a new dress, but keeps her mouth shut and doesn’t press any further. It’s horrible that since Constance has been treated like this for so long, she’s gotten the habit of keeping her thoughts to herself out of fear for being “ungrateful”. The most terrifying part was proven at the very beginning when she did not care at all about Constance’s well being, a point made time and time again, especially when Constance was so angry with being “ugly” to her mother, that she drank Domestos, a bleach that kills germs since Constance was always told the she was just an “ugly germ” by her very own mother. It makes me more terrified and sad when Constance did not die of the bleach, that Carmen was very unwilling to go to the doctor and didn’t even want to go near her. The agonizing moments felt from this moment is only the beginning of the horrible relationship, that at some points was very emotional.

In actuality, she is the pathetic tragic figure, unable to see how her children have helped her financially. She takes her disappointments and failed dreams and puts them onto the girls, as though it is their fault. Simply due to their existence, Edna often seems annoyed with the existence of her daughters. Kay's realization of this fact so early in life is the most distressing part of her story. Bearing the weight of this burden takes away the possibility of the children having dreams and fantasies of their own.

Back in Williams 's day, being a homosexual was not accepted at all and this affected his life immensely. There are, according to Tamara Powell, multiple gay undertones in The Glass Menagerie (58). One source of this perspective comes from the character of Laura. A single woman still living with her mother and no motivation to find a boyfriend, Laura symbolizes the loneliness that comes with being homosexual in an environment that doesn 't condone it. She is so certain that no man would love her and is so embarrassed of her condition that she becomes a hermit (Williams, 126).

Jackson did not satisfy her mother, a wealthy socialite who wanted her daughter to be beautiful and popular and was disturbed by her talk of "other worlds." Relations between Jackson and her mother were tense throughout her life, paralleling the conflict between Jackson and the society in which she found no place for herself. "I will not tolerate having these other worlds called imaginary" -Shirley Jackson Jackson's mother wrote to her once that "you were always a wilful child" (Oppenheimer 14). This careless statement captures Jackson's stubborn assertion of her individuality, as well as her mother's disapproval. Jackson's obesity particularly troubled her mother, who suggestively sent her corsets even after she was married (Oppenheimer 14).

Women are disrespected by men in this novel, women feel disempowered, and women disrespect those around them. Lillian, a character in the novel, is the mother of Eddy and Tom. She stays away from her husband Elmer Stark because she is scared he will kill her and due to that she sleeps alone. Also she is always in her room and only comes out when Elmer is not home. Elmer would beat her and cause her to be injured.