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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
One can learn that children really need their parents’ figure.
Parents’
separation for Lydia, Christopher, and Natalie can bring a huge affect in their childhood memory. However mother’s figure cannot be replaced by father and
neither can father’s. Each of the figures has particular characteristics and children need both of them.
Parke and O’Neil categorize the parent’s role into some roles. Parents are as instructor, educator, advisor, supervisor, facilitator, and role model 32-39. As
an instructor, parents give the order and information to the children. In this role parents make and give some rules for the children to obey and to do something for
their own good. As an instructor Miranda tries to find a housekeeper to keep the house clean and take care of the children after school.
“The undisputed Leader of the Empire” “Emporium.”
“Able to afford a cleaning lady, anyhow.” “Housekeeper, really,” Christopher corrected him, and added carelessly:
“Mother says her job involves a lot more traveling this year, and she’ll need to leave us with someone dependable.” p. 33
Without asking her children’s opinion Miranda decides to find a housekeeper for their own goodness. The children would rather stay with their own father than
with someone who they do not know.
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“Of course he wanted to come. So did I. So did Natty. Why should we want to stay there every afternoon with someone we don’t even know,
someone who’s always saying: ‘I’m not sure about that, dear. We’ll just have wait until your mother comes home and then ask her.’ We don’t.
We’d rather be around here with you. Much rather. But it isn’t going to happen, is it? She’s not going to let us, and I’m not going to cry about it”
p. 34
As educators, parents transfer knowledge of the things happening around the
children. Knowledge is not only focused on the intellect teaching but also the moral teaching. However, it should be balanced between the intellectual teaching
and moral teaching. Both of them are crucial to bring the children into a deep understanding of the environment.
In the novel, however, Daniel tries hard to be a good father for his children. He does a lot of things to keep close with his children even he has to
disguise himself to be a woman. He wants to show to his children that the separation will not change his love and his attention. The children are Daniel’s life
and they are the reason why Daniel keeps on his life. As an advisor, parents give some advises on what happens and what will
happen in order to make the children to be able to come to the appropriate way that leads their children to find the best solution. Both Daniel and Miranda try to
explain their condition to their children, even they know that the decision will hurt their children. However, they say that the separation will not change their love,
attention and affection. As the supervisor, parents keep an eye on the children. Therefore, the
children are under control. Parents keep their children away from some
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destructive and irresponsible behavior. As a supervisor Miranda attempts to protect her children from their irresponsible father. In Miranda’s opinion Daniel is
such a bad person with a weird behavior, and she will not let the children feel ashamed seeing their father’s behavior p. 68.
As a facilitator, parents provide some facilities to support the children’s developments. The facilities can be in a form of school education and give them
their needs useful needs. Financial disagreement is one of Miranda’s and Daniel’s issues that bring their marriage into divorce. Miranda feels that Daniel as
a husband cannot fulfill the family needs. Daniel is only an unemployed actor who specializes in dubbing the voice of cartoon characters; his payment is not enough
to give better facilities for the children p. 29. As a role model, parents become models in doing something for their
children. By doing so, the children have someone to rely on in their life. Children will be sure that they will not get lost. In the last story Miranda realizes that she
has hurt her ex-husband and her children by separating the children from their beloved father. At last she changes her mind. Miranda agrees to stop arguing and
work together for the sake of their children. Miranda will not seek a housekeepercaretaker while she is at work in the afternoons, instead of arranging
for the children to spend that time with Daniel p. 193. The conclusion is that parents are the key of the children’s life. When
children lose one of the important figures in their house, it can bring bad effects on them. As long as their parents can give them enough affection and attention,
children will not trap into the wrong way. Miranda is a good instructor. She can
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make the children obey and do the rules that she makes. Different from Daniel, he s not a
good instructor. It can be seen in th e novel that children mor e afraid to
Miranda than Daniel. As an educators Miranda and Daniel fail in moral teaching. They fail in
giving the children a good paradigm about the meaning of a family. After the divorce they become enemies and keep standing on their egoism. They never ask
the children what they want or need. They do not know that the children are not happy. Putting their marriage into a divorce is already a mistake.
Miranda and Daniel should be an advisor. They must be able to explain what happen in their marriage and give them a good understanding. Miranda and
Daniel are not a good advisor. They cannot make the children understand about the divorce. It can be seen from their speech and behavior, for example Lydia,
after the divorce she becomes introvert. Through Lydia’s behavior changing it can be seen that she does not get a good understanding about the divorce from her
parents. Thus Miranda and Daniel must control their self-egoism. They should work together in raising their children.
They should be a supervisor. They must watch, control and keep their children away from some destructive and irresponsible behaviors. Miranda is a
good supervisor while Daniel he is a bad supervisor. Daniel has a problem with himself. He cannot act or behave like normal people. Whenever he feels that his
ex wife takes his rights to spend the time with the children, he will act like a crazy
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man and say unpleasant remarks in front of his children. Thus, as a father, Daniel must be careful with everything he says and does. As a wife, Miranda is supposed
to remind her ex husband. Miranda and Daniel mus t be a good facilitator to support the
children’s developments. Miranda with her good career can fulfill her children education and
their needs. On the contrary, Daniel is an unemployed actor. His money is not enough to fulfill his children education and needs. Therefore, Miranda takes the
decision to get divorced. Miranda feels that Daniel is an irresponsible father. As a father, he cannot give an appropriate life for the family.
Miranda and Daniel should be role models. They can be someone for the children to rely on. At the end of the story Miranda and Daniel realize that
children’s happiness is more important than their self-egoism. Miranda and Daniel work together to raise their children.
C. The Influences of the Divorce on Lydia’s, Christopher’s, and Natalie’s Behaviors
Corsini 432 states that divorce has emotional implications for marital partners and extended family members. The husband and the wife often have
feelings of loss of attachment with accompanying grief reactions and blame of the partner, coupled with guilt feelings about their own failures, and general feelings
of insecurity about social, emotional, and financial issue.
