The Influence of Parental Behavior on Children’s Behavior Robinson

basic institution, which develops the society. Further, they say that family is very important in children rearing and to fulfill human needs. Family must carry a lot of functions such as conceiving and raising the children, caring for the ill and aged, etc. Besides, the members of a family have certain responsibilities toward one another. The World Book Encyclopedia 24-25 explains that most people belong to two families during their lives, the first as the children and the second as parents. Marriage becomes the beginning of a family life. When a woman and a man get married, they become the husband and the wife and are responsible for supporting and caring for the children. The success of a marriage depends on what the members want and how they live. Family is also a chief vehicle for ensuring a smooth or a rough start life since family makes up the basis for every society. It serves three vital humans needs found everywhere. First, the family provides for the protection and early training of infants. Human infants are perhaps the most helpless of all living creatures. They must be fed, washed, and dressed. They cannot move far by themselves. As they grew older, they must be trained to be a responsible member of the society. Third, the family sets up a division of labor so that each member of contributes something. The man usually earns a living while the women looks for the children. Both parents care for the children, who also assume responsibilities as they grow up. Family plays the important roles in the children development. According to Sullivan if parents behave properly, they will develop good self-image and self-worth. But if their parents do not see them their children as worthwhile persons, they will cause the negative self-image development 93-94. Children will understand who they are and their roles in social life for the first time in family. Children receive their first training in their home. Kaalish states that parents and other significant figures probably have the greatest influence of values and attitudes because the parents have the authority in estimating child’s attitudes 55. Parents are models for the children, whether consciously or unconsciously, they will copy the models. The children live with parents, so they internalize the parents’ values such education, religion, humanism, and work. It will be easier for children to adapt to the family and the closest people value, which he interacts, rather than other people.

2.2 Criticism

Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature state their opinion that after the readers understand the literary work, they will judge and value any work of literature, and the judgments on the work of literature is called criticisms. Each person might make different critics depends on the taste of each person 3. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye which becomes the subject of my study, also receives many criticism from critics. Toni Morrison is a very talented Afro-American author who receives a Nobel Prize for literature. She was the first black woman to receive such award. The Bluest Eye was her first novel. The story talks about an Afro- American little girl who wishes to have blue eyes with a hope that her life could be better. With all of the writing talents, revealing ideas in the novels, and the dedication to the literary world she has, Toni Morrison succeeds in getting attention of many criticisms. There are many critics and literary experts who try to analyze her work. They also give comments and criticisms on her. Her works have been seen not only as exemplifying the struggle of a particular people, but also as illustrating the problems and emotions of all human beings. She is admired for her use of language and her interesting narrative devices. Those criticisms, comments, ideas, and appreciations have given the contributions to literature directly and indirectly. They give the contributions directly because they dedicate those criticisms to the author himselfherself or to the work of literature. The purpose of those criticisms are aimed to let the authors know what their strengths and weaknesses are, so the authors may improve the work of literature based on those criticisms. The authors also have a chance to acknowledge and to focus on the weaknesses in themselves; so, they can be more motivated to improve. Sue Houchins states that Toni Morrison focuses almost exclusively on African- American characters, and draws upon black folk traditions http:www.georgetown.edubassrheathsyllabuildiguidemorrison.html accessed on April 20, 2008. It is true that in all of her literary works, such as dramas and novels, she uses African-American people as the major characters. Although Toni Morrison also put some white characters in her novels, but they do not have the major roles and do not play as much roles as the African-American characters do. In her novel, The Bluest Eye that I used as the primary source of this study, we can see that most and main characters are dominated by Afro-American people.

2.3 Theoretical Framework