Taking Control

Since we were little, we have been told that our parents are the people who will take care and look out for us. But as time goes by, we notice that this isn’t always the case. Often, children are forced to look after their parents, just like their parents took care of them when they were young. “It was very exciting for her [Barbara], taking his [Billy’s] dignity away in the name of love.” (pg. 132). Barbara, in her early twenties, was enjoying the feeling of superiority and greatness she got while bossing her old, traumatized and troubled father around. Even though what Billy was doing made perfect sense to him, it seemed foolish and childish to her.

The ideal parents, the ones we always like to believe we have, love their kids unconditionally, and would give anything for their well-being and happiness. Such a case is illustrated in the children’s book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Although it is meant to be a sweet and inspiring story about parental love, it is still somewhat creepy to think of an old woman crawling through her grown up son’s window at night and rocking him back and forth while singing. A perfect mother would not be as affectionate as the one portrayed in the book, and although they might not show their affection as openly, their feelings would still be the same. However, towards the end of the book, when the mother is old and sick, her son ends up caring for her and comforting her on her deathbed.

Seeing all of these reciprocal feelings of love and affection between parents and their children made me think about a TV show called Toddlers and Tiaras. In it, young girls are subject to gruesome conditions while several times being forced by their parents to participate in beauty pageants around the world. I find it amazing how parents could do such a horrible thing to their little daughters, simply because they are after shimmering crowns, grand titles, and a lot of money. These girls grow up thinking that everything is about appearance, make up and dresses, and they soon become the typical material girls. These mothers and fathers have taken complete control over the lives of their kids, and are in a way exploiting them for their own benefit.