Dynamics of Family in King Lear and Fall on Your Knees

The Dynamics of Family in King Lear and Fall On Your Knees
There are many reasons for a family to be dysfunctional and there is not one definition that describes what a dysfunctional family is because each family is different in a lot of ways and families are not all dysfunctional for the same reason.  Each family is unique in its own way, whether it is in size, in affection, having children, having no children, and so on.   We all fail to realize the strong and inevitable effect that family has on us.   In theory, families are supposed to be the most important part of who we become.   Family is the main factor in the building blocks of our lives; they guide, love, support and care for us.   Our parents teach us right from wrong and usually consider our best interest while raising us.   When the whole world abandons us, our families will be by our side.   When we think of families, we think of comfort, home, and happiness.   But is a perfectly happy family very realistic?   Often times, people take advantage of their family, and do not truly understand the importance of it.   As well, it is not rare that some families consist of one parent.   The absence of the other parent is very significant and sometimes affects the children’s psychological well being.   For example, it is difficult for a young girl to grow up without a motherly figure.   In many cases the absence affects the family, especially children.   The dynamics of family are evident in William Shakespeare’s play King Lear and Ann-Marie MacDonald’s novel Fall On Your Knees.   Throughout both texts, Shakespeare and MacDonald deftly explore the complexities of family with a keen eye for the role of fathers, mothers, and daughters.   One can see the ways in which father-daughter and mother-daughter relationships, or lack of, develop and deteriorate, and the various aspects that affect the abovementioned relationships.
In King Lear, it is evident that what begins as a healthy father-daughter relationship becomes the...