The Wide, Wide World

The role of parents in the Wide, Wide world I found to be very direct and at time to be very strict in guiding Ellen on the right path towards becoming a woman. We see throughout the text that Ellen is very obedient and well mannered towards any adult figure. As such the case when the doctor instructions her that she must not excite her mother, Ellen took the advice to heart and was determined to follow it. The text also wants us to view the parents role as as teaching tool for children on how to grow up and showing them how they should be when they do reach adulthood. We see this in the entire shopping scene with Ellen and her mother as she is constantly getting things that she thinks Ellen will need in the future that will help her grow into a woman, since she will not be their to show her how. I also feel as though the text wants us to view parents close relationship with God, and by doing showing us how important it is to be associated with God. We see this when Mrs.Montgomery openly admits that she love God more than Ellen and tells Ellen that she to must love God more that she loves her.

I feel as though the text was creating an atmosphere that was very accurate during the 19Th century and separating the identities of the household between the father and the mother. The identities of the father during this time period was to constantly be working to support his family while showing little affection to maintain that male authority that all men must live up to. While woman were supposed to be domesticated and keep a clean house hold and be able to raise the children. We know this by the fact that Mrs.Montgomery doesn't appear to work and the fact she is the one raising Ellen shows the role that she had as a mother. While Mr.Montgomery is constantly gone and is hardly mention in the story and when he does appear he is constantly establishing his role as the man of the house. With the little affection he shows to Ellen and the constant rules and standards he sets for her to follow. This was the common model of the family household for the 19Th century.

Ellen I'm sure is the type of person who loves both her parents very dearly, but as for what kind of love she has for each parent is totally different and plays into how she perceives each parent. I feel as though Ellen has a true mother daughter bond with her mother and would do anything to please her in anyway. They also both have a mutual respect for one another because they both try to do whats best for one another, while still maintain the terms of a mother daughter relationship. As evident by the way Ellen cares and caries the burden of her mother leaving her in the near future because she knows her mom wants her to be strong while she is away. While her mother loves her dearly and does what she can to help her in the future by buying items she believes will help her in the future, and by preaching lessons that she feels are influential for her to live by. The type of role that Ellen expects her mother to have in her life is one of guidance and love. Ellen is always looking for the approval from her mother as she always agrees with her and also looks for her to be her emotional support with all of the things that are going to change in the near future. While Ellen and her father have a simple type of relationship were there was a respect in that he was her father and provided for her nothing more. As for the role she expects for him to have in her life is nothing more that an authoritative figure. Which is seen at the end when he breaks up Ellen and her mother as she leaves and Ellen says she never heard a word her father said or the candy he gave her. Which shows how she has little remorse for him and is nothing more than the authoritative figure in her life.