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Synthesis & status quo essay
- Course
- ENG4U
- Institution
- 12th Grade
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Parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Parenting can also be one of the mostimpactful phases in a child's life. Parents who were raised in an authoritarian way might be easy
going with their own kids. However, some parents believe that they must control their child and
be very strict with them. The poem “On Children'' by Khalil Gibran, the short story “Millions'' by
Sonja Larsen and “Thank You Ma'am” by Langston Hughes mention other ways of parenting
that are not controlling or strict, rather they are understanding. While people may think that strict
parenting is the way to go, this has more negative impacts on the child that a parent does not
know of but the child experinces (Matharu 2022). A more understanding parenting approach
leads to better results and a positive effect in life.
While Khalil Gibran’s poem talks about parenting in general, all three authors share ideas
and characters in their story that show how quiet guidance is an alternative to being very
authoritative with kids. Khalil Gibran’s poem is written as a guide for parents. The author asks
the parent to serve their children instead of controlling them. A line from the poem that supports
this statement is “And though they are with you yet they belong not to you” (3-4). The author
shows us that parents must take care of their kids' needs without being controlling. Parents are
not owners of the child but they are utilities from which a child benefits. The author beautifully
explains this statement by saying “bows from which … children, as living arrows are sent forth”
(12 - 13). A parent is someone who is supposed to adjust and be stable (19). The parent was
given to the child to take care of them, be supportive in their life and raise them to be good
people. The short story “Millions'' also shares a guiding perspective for the child. The narrator
recalls her own experinces of how sick she felt when asking her parents something, therefore she
does not demand an answer from the boy or criticize him for it. Larsen’s narrator’s listening
nature and Gabrin’s poem about parenting are different than “Thank You Ma'am.” In “Thank You
Ma'am”, the narrator shows one of many examples of how to parent. The narrator of this story
had compassion for the boy and she was gentle. Although she did hold the boy accountable for
his actions, she also took care of him to fulfill his needs. After the narrator and boy discuss the
pocketbook, she asks the boy “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong.
Least I can do right now is wash your face. Are you hungry?” (29-30). This sentence shows the
narrator's ability to let go of the boy's actions and give him the care he requires. All 3 of these
texts show a type of quiet guidance that affect kids in the most impactful manner.
The guidance that is shown by the authors gives children what they need the most: the
kids are free to accept or refuse the guidance given and to move on in life without gaining
criticism and negative feedback. The short story "Millions' clearly shares the positive influence
of quiet guidance on the young child. The boy is allowed to lead the conversation in any
direction as well the choice of revealing his secrets. The narrator asks the boy questions, listens
to his answers and instead of criticizing, she goes along with them. An example is when the boy
asks “What if you are a secret agent?” (22). The narrator replies “Who would I be a spy for?”
(30). This helps the boy gain trust in the person and talk to them openly. While a parent may
want to control all activities of the child, the narrator allows the boy to choose which path to take
home and the activity he does in his walk. This path choice is made clear in the part “walk them
around in circles” (50). In this short story, instead of being controlling, the narrator helped guide
the child. This concept of control is not mentioned in the poem “On Children ''. Gibran wants the
parents to serve the child their needs and give them guidance without being controlling. Parents
should be the bows from which children as living arrows are sent forth. The concept of setting
the kids up for the future is mentioned indirectly in “Thank You Ma'am” when the narrator says
“If that contact is not going to last a while, you got another thought coming” (34 - 35). This
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