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In a family, conflict can cause a divorce. Kupper 193 says divorce is the
legal procedure to end a marriage formally. Many reasons can cause a divorce. According to Corsini, many factors can lead marriage into separation. Traditional
reasons for divorce are drunkenness, desertion, brutality, or adultery. Nowadays a divorce can be caused by financial independence of women, relaxation of church
proscription, and alterations in the purposes of marriage because of technological advances 432.
In the novel there are three reasons that cause the divorce. They are:
a. A growing financial independence of Miranda
The main problem in their marriage is that Daniel is an unemployed actor. Miranda has a good career as a managing director of a large store while Daniel is
only an out-of-work actor with extraordinary imitative skills. He cannot earn enough money for the family living cost, Miranda hopes that Daniel can help her
manage the house while she is working, but Miranda cannot even count on Daniel in managing the house. Even after their separation Daniel cannot fulfill his
obligation to send money for the children according to the regulation. “ That phone call…” she’d say, in a voice of stony detachment. Daniel
would nod, to show he was paying attention. “She says your money came in four days late again this month, and please try to be a bit more punctual
in the future.” p. 19 Corsini states that financial independence of women is one of the factors
that can lead marriage into divorce 432. In the novel Miranda earns much better
earning than Daniel. Miranda has a good job as a managing director of large store
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while Daniel is only an unemployed actor who specializes in dubbing the voices of cartoon characters. This financial matter puts their marriage into and end.
Miranda Hilliard, managing director of Hilliard’s Lighting Emporium, appeared in the doorway. She was dressed smartly from top to toe in
glossy black and purest white. p. 42
Miranda thinks that as a husband and father he must give a better living condition to the family, but he cannot. She knows that she is able to earn more than her
husband. Thus she will be able to manage her life by her own, if she is separated from her husband.
b. The growing difference in their personality background
Kupper says that two different personalities background can lead marriage into a divorce 193. This issue happens in Miranda’s and Daniel’s marriage.
Miranda is a typical serious woman meanwhile Daniel likes to make jokes. His life is filled with laughter. Miranda feels unhappy since the beginning of her
marriage. As Daniel always does ridiculous things, Miranda feels embarrassed. It happens on their wedding day.
“We were already late. I took his arm and we walk into the Town Hall. Everyone was waiting, and we were married straight away. Your father
was in such a state, he dropped the ring twice.” p.105
It is getting worse when Daniel leaves the wedding and nobody knows where he is. Miranda tries to be calm and keeps smiling to the guests.
“There wasn’t much I do, was there? After a while I sent my brother along to the restroom to see if he was in there. My brother came out shaking his
head. So everyone just milled around in the foyer, burning with curiosity, huddled in little groups and whispering, wondering if the bridegroom had
had the nerve to cut out after less than one full minute of marriage. My mother was in tears. My father looked murderous. p.106
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Miranda feels so embarrassed, miserable, humiliated and confused. She thinks that she makes a wrong decision by marrying Daniel.
“Well, maybe there is something wrong with me. Maybe I look at things in the wrong way. All I can tell you is, I stood on the deck of that bus in my
grubby and bedraggled wedding dress, traveling at a steady twenty-five miles an hour away from my own wedding party, and I cried my poor eyes
out. I realized that I had just made the terrible, terrible mistake of marrying the most irresponsible man in the world.” p. 109
Another proof that shows the difference of personality background is their
habit. Miranda is a discipline, well organize, tidy, and perfectionist woman. While Daniel, he is a lazy, unorganized, and irresponsible man. When Miranda picks up
her children from Daniel’s apartment, she looks around through Daniel’s apartment. It looks messy, a lot of frayed electrical wires trailing across the floors,
a pair of garden shears lying, open-jawed, any many others messy things p. 43. It shows that Daniel is a lazy and untidy man.
“What for? Why does your mother need a cleaning lady? Cleaning things is her hobby. Her house is spotless, flawless, perfect. It actually gleams at
people when they walk in. It hurts their eyes. Surfaces keep winking and sparkling. p. 30
The quotations above is taken when Daniel disagree with Miranda in
hiring the cleaning lady. Thus because of their different background, they are not able to continue their marriage. They choose to separate.
c. The difference in their educational background According to Kupper, different education background can also lead
marriage into a divorce 193. If one of the spouses has higher education it will become a problem during the spouses’ fight. In the novel, it is described that
Miranda is a
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smart and intelligent woman. She has a good career and a good job. Miranda Hilliard, managing director of Hilliard’s Lighting Emporium,
appeared in the doorway. She was dressed smartly from top to toe in glossy black and purest white. p. 42
It is also told in the novel that Daniel’s ability is only producing different voices and dubbing his voice into a cartoon character. What he gets is not as much as his
wife’s. The quotation below happens when the children remind their father about his disgusting job. He works as a nude model and someone paints him naked p.
24. He thinks that it is not a big problem but for Miranda it is an embarrassing job she ever knows besides it can give enough money.
“In that case,” said Daniel, “your mother is not only a Philistine, but a hypocrite, too. And not very sensible, either, since I will spend the money
I earn paying her your child support a little more promptly.” “Mother says she doubts it. She says you won’t earn very much anyway.”
p. 29 Therefore, it can be concluded that there are three main problems that
cause the divorce first, a growing financial independence of Miranda. Miranda
earns more that Daniel. Second is the growing difference in their personality background. Miranda is a serious woman, while Daniel he likes to make jokes.
Daniel is an irresponsible man by leaving the wedding ceremony and a foolish man by doing silly things. The last is the difference in their educatioanl
background. Miranda is a well educated woman. She can get a good job and get a good position. Daniel is an unemployed actor, because he does not have a higher
education as Miranda. According to Young, there is a time in American society when the vast
majority of divorces were initiated by men, but over the last twenty years women begin to take more initiative in ending intolerable marriages 7. Nowadays, men
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and women are equal. In the novel Miranda is one of the examples of a successful woman. She is smart and persistent. Even though her status is a wife and a mother,
she does not rely her life on her husband. The facts above show us that women are no longer dependent but independent.
3. Parental Roles
