Vladislav Svidruk

808

Ms.Cunningham

October 22,2014

                                        Ashes Essay

Its common for teens to have problems with their family members. In this short story “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Ashes is forced to choose between her divorced parents when her dreamer father decides to asks her to borrow some money from her mothers emergency money. Pfeffers short story shows how family problems happens everywhere. Its common and it can change a child's life in many ways.

From the beginning the reader sees the hope Ashes has for her relationship with her father. In the short story she explained that “ Dad used to promise me the stars for a necklace, but like most of his promises, that one never quite happened”, she knows not to trust him with anything, she knows that hes just saying these things to make her feel better. Also the father would promise Ashes to see her every single Tuesday but also like most of his other promises he wouldn't keep this promise. Further more the author states “felt like every time I saw my father, the sun cast off just a little more warmth than it had the day before”. This shows the reader that Ashes is hopeful of the loving relationship her father has to offer her. In addition she also feels like her father could become a better men, even though she knows clearly what he's really capable of.

In most relationships nowadays, it's common for teens to have problems with their parents. Another reason they don't get along is because they don't get what they want. In the middle of the short story you see how Ashes doesn't get what she wants from her mother. Its hard to love one parent more than the other but when you are being promised something and it never comes true, its a different story. In the short story, she talks about how “he is always there when you need him, well not always unexpectedly” . When she really needs him he would not be there but when he needs something he is unexpectedly there. Towards the end of the short story, all the things the father said to Ashes, she is one in a million and she is the most beautiful daughter in the world because he needed money from Ashe's mother to support him. He made him more important than his family and he just cares about his safety and he is the first priority.

Knowing that you might not have two loving, caring parents that want the same thing for you can be really tough. Therefore Ashes deals with her father and his surprises most of her life. One day he would come out of nowhere and tell her she can be a model. Other days he would tell her she could  become  astronaut. Also other days he would miss her and would give excuses. she said “ Her name is Ashleigh, mom shouted the name you insisted” Her father wants her to be called something else to make her more vulnerable to him when she is next to him. Also when Ashes was forced to make a decision that could change her life, because her father made her think that she is so important to him that she didn't know who to backstabbing. Either take the money hurt mom because she worked so hard or give the money to her father and never see him again.

In conclusion having a family problem is common for all teenagers and it could happen in all aspects of life. In real life you could be betrayed by your loved ones and by your friends. Teens are suffering all over the world with their parents in other ways too. Its the promises that aren't kept and the hope that isn't turned into reality that really affect the communication between the parent and the child. It can really hurt and scar the child with a bad and heartless family member.