The reality of parents-children relationship is always more
random, richer with details, and way more complex than the cliché says. It can
neither be summarized in a book that teaches you how to raise your kid, nor in
a happy family story depicted in a movie. This delicate relationship can be
ruined by the absent of parental guidance. In Naked
Pueblo by Mark Poirier, the main character in Son of The Monkey Lady story is the child who have to face the
parent-children’ problem. Parents-children relationship is complicated.
Parental guidance is one of the main cornerstones in the
process of forming the child’s personality. It has a major effect on the psychological
health and the way children connect with their surrounding environment. According
to attachment theory, children with secure attachments expect and receive
support and comfort from their caregivers, and in the other hand children with
insecure attachments have requests discouraged, rejected, or responded to
inconsistently, which is thought to make them vulnerable to developing
behavioral problems (Cherry).
Having an alcoholic parent does not necessarily determine
the future of the children. That is what happened in the story “Son of The
Monkey Lady”, one of the short stories from Poirier’s novelette titled “Naked
Pueblo” where Chigger – a troubled young man – is going through his life with
an alcoholic mother. Growing up in such atmosphere affected both, his personal
and professional life. First, as Chigger ‘s mom was getting drunk a lot, he
must have had to take care of her too. That, in my opinion, why Chigger was not
focusing on building a healthy personal life for himself as his mother was
being his priority throughout his life. Second, his situation forced him to be
more responsible as he had to take care of himself too when his mother is not
sober. Consequently, he succeeded in building his professional life in a very
young age. Being successful as he is, the past brings a sense of doubt, whether
his action is right, makes him feel insecure.
Insecurity at home encourages great relation with friends. On
another dimension of the story, as Chigger grew up with his mother’s careless
attitude he became insecure about his personal attachments with the people in
his life. There are many behavioral consequences for being insecure. Chigger’s
insecurity made him build a tight friendship with one person only, his
childhood friend Freddy. Knowing Freddy since an early age is the most
important factor in allowing this friendship to survive and even develop into a
form of brotherhood. Chigger was protecting Freddy and standing up for him
against Freddy’s own father. He even was trying to help Freddy in finding the
right girl. Chigger is trying to protect the only secure corner of his life
where he could always find relief and comfort.
In conclusion, no matter how good or troubled childhood is,
there will always be good and bad results. Chigger was insecure and had troubles
in his personal life but in the same time he managed to succeed professionally.
He also found himself a friend that he can rely on to escape the troubles of
his life. That is exactly why I believe that although human beings may suffer
from behavioral issues resulting from their childhood, they will still be able
to adapt and limit the bad results. Our ability to adapt is what makes us able
to confront any issues that life might through at us.
Reference
Poirier,
Mark J. 1998. Naked Pueblo. New York:
Crown
Kendra,
Cherry. 2008. An Overview of Attachment
Theory. http://psychology.about.com/od/loveandattraction/a/attachment01.htm
accessed on 22-5-2012
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