A person may never know what a parent goes through until he/she actually becomes one. It is sometimes easier to understand issues of parenting when expressed by a well-known author. There are three literary works that I have read recently that deal with parenting in such a way that you do not even need to be a parent, yourself, to actually understand what the authors are trying to convey. Naomi Long Madgett, Tille Olsen, and Alice Walker are all very popular, distinguished authors, and one thing that they all share is their interpretation of parenting within their works.

In Naomi Long Madgett's poem "Offspring," Madgett gives an approach to parenting through what seems to be a personal experience. "Born of my trunk and strengthened by my roots, / you must stretch new grown branches/ closer to the sun/ than I can reach" (lines 3-6). In these lines she begins to talk about wanting better for her daughter than what she had in her life, which is a common parenting mannerism. Parenting mannerisms are very critical when an author actually writes about their real life situations because it is hard to be judgmental of the work because you are being judgmental of the author's life or of the a

Emily wants to be close with her mother, like any other child would. "Can't you go some other time, Mommy, like tomorrow?" She would ask. "Will it be just a little while you'll be gone? Do you promise?" (762) A child deserves to be with his/her mother, and for this short story to take a different option; the author draws the reader in giving more emotional feelings towards both characters. The mother is then forced to send her daughter away for a second time leaving her daughter to make her own decisions and to basically raise herself. The daughter ends up fretting about her appearance and becoming fairly shy. Then a new baby arrives and the single mother is left to raise two children. Parenting can be such a difficult task and such a hard thing to pick up on if you do not have all the right intentions.

In this short story, Alice Walker puts a lot of symbolism behind everyday objects, the main one being a set of quilts that has been passed on from generations. The quilts are meant to symbolize heritage. The heritage that Dee, the daughter that will stop at nothing to become better than, and Maggie, the daughter that is satisfied with the life that she has always known and could never get tired of, end up fighting over. Mama, the narrator, ends up granting the quilts to Maggie because she knows she will actually use them, symbolizing the fact that she will not stray from her heritage, while Dee, who only wanted the quilts for looks, won't ever use them, and is actually symbolizing leaving her heritage behind.

Within these three pieces of literature, the issue of parenting has dealt with many topics ranging from a child becoming one's self in front of a mother's eyes, to another child leaving, bringing her mother and sister closer together. From these literary works the audience gains knowledge that it is not an easy task in becoming a parent and actually having to bring up a child. And with that notion, I think I can actually stand to wait awhile before I endure that kind of commitment.

Usually when another child comes into the picture, the first child becomes jealous. This is another issue of parenting. "It seems so obvious on the surface, yet it is not obvious. Susan, the second child, Susan, golden and curly haired and chubby, quick and articulate and assured, everything in appearance and manner Emily was not; Susan, not able to resist Emily's precious things, losing or sometimes breaking them; Susan telling jokes and riddle to company for applause while Emily sat silent (to say to me later: that was my riddle, mother, I told it to Susan." (764) The narrator seems to be neglecting Emily, her oldest daughter, and every time Emily would strive for attention she would be too bus

Some topics in this essay:
Tillie Olsen, Emily Susan, Offspring Madgett, Alice Walker, Can't Mommy, Mama Dee, Mama Maggie, , short story, single mother, Naomi Madgett's, alice walker, parent child, mother feels, heritage dee, send daughter, story deals, short story deals, forced send daughter, granting quilts, daughter own decisions, mother daughter,