The
“perfect family” has been seen on television since it was first introduced.
These families showcase beautiful mothers who fulfill their wifely duties, hard-working
fathers who are the head of the family, and beautiful children who learn life
lessons from their parents. There is always a happy ending and the strength of family
exceeds all. Such formal styled family
shows are: Full House, Boy Meets World, and The Brady Brunch etc. However, in
modern shows, I have seen more realistic showing of families. These families are
not exactly conventional and break boundaries. These families represent to me
the diversity, and a realistic view, of families today. In these shows, not
everything ends happily; controversial issues can be brought up, and the
imperfections of the families allow viewers to form connects. These shows
include: Modern Family, Malcolm in the Middle, and The Middle. It can be argued
that these shows do have some similarities to conventional families in shows,
but it is undeniable the differences that it has as well.
In The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, the Walls are an unconventional family. The parents allow their children to run free, care for themselves, and even cook at a young age. The family is rather dysfunctional and a safe environment is not provided. The father is an alcoholic, the mother is narcissistic, and the children are placed in various situations where they are starving or unsafe. The Walls family is entirely different from any family on a television. The hardships they face are not address on television ever. The Walls lifestyle is bizarre, unstable, and astonishing. I personally cannot relate to Walls family, and I also can not relate to the "perfect families" portrayed on shows; however, I can relate to the more modern portrayal of families. To me, these families showcase imperfections that I feel most families can relate to.
In The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, the Walls are an unconventional family. The parents allow their children to run free, care for themselves, and even cook at a young age. The family is rather dysfunctional and a safe environment is not provided. The father is an alcoholic, the mother is narcissistic, and the children are placed in various situations where they are starving or unsafe. The Walls family is entirely different from any family on a television. The hardships they face are not address on television ever. The Walls lifestyle is bizarre, unstable, and astonishing. I personally cannot relate to Walls family, and I also can not relate to the "perfect families" portrayed on shows; however, I can relate to the more modern portrayal of families. To me, these families showcase imperfections that I feel most families can relate to.
