When Franz Kafka’s father was trying to ready his son for the harsh realities of the world, he was also exposing his son to what would be some of the harshest experiences of the boy’s life. Kafka cites some grievances against his father, such as his father not taking into account the trials and tribulations of a child his age. To a nine-year-old, any little matter could conceivably be the end of the world, but Kafka’s father expected him to

behave like a small adult, taking his worst fears and hardest obstacles in his stride.

However, she gives reasons and justifications for why she acted toward Emily the way she did. While she does blame herself, and does realize that she did Emily wrong, she explains several times that there was no other way. She nursed her so vigorously because she wanted to do things the right way, to be a good mother. She had to send Emily to the nursery because she was working, and she was working so that they could ultimately be together. Another factor was the time period in which Emily grew up. It was a time of war, of economic depression, of care and tightness and worry. She didn’t smile at Emily much not because she didn’t love her, but because she was too worried about their circumstances to smile.

Tillie Olsen gives a much different perspective- that of the parent’s. The reader is much more sympathetic from this viewpoint, being made aware of the parent’s unfortunate circumstances. Olsen describes certain situations in her daughter Emily’s childhood, where her inexperience and lack of resources makes her a less-than-perfect parent. She says that she nursed Emily, “with all the fierce rigidity of first motherhood.” The use of words like “fierce” and “rigid” shows how hard she was trying to do things by the book, even though she was clearly hurting herself and the child.

However, in spite of all these

Some topics in this essay:
Tillie Olsen, Franz Kafka’s, , kafka’s father, leave children, ready son, bad parent, olsen describes, onto porch, franz kafka’s, tillie olsen,