Family in Contemporary Fiction

Janet Cosbey, a sociology professor, claims that she has been using contemporary fiction novels to illustrate her lectures on family for years. As stated in her article, “Using Contemporary Fiction to Teach Family Issues,” Cosbey believes that “using contemporary novels is one way to supplement textbook reading assignments in a way that allows students to apply what they have learned, and at the same time, broaden their understanding of family issues.” (Cosbey 227) After reading numerous works of contemporary fiction, it’s clear why Cosbey frequently incorporates literature into her sociology classes. In many contemporary fiction novels, different aspects of family are used as main themes throughout the stories. For example, in The Secret Life of Bees and Breath, Eyes, Memory, and White Noise, traditional families may not only refer to parents and their offspring. Family may include other relatives, such as aunts and cousins, and even those who are not blood-relatives. In Interpreter of Maladies, different cultural family traditions are depicted throughout the stories.

Contemporary fiction often illustrates the fact that society has strayed away from the “traditional” family, consisting of a mother, father, and their children. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, it’s obvious that Lily desires the emotions and experiences only a mother can provide. Readers learn early on that Lily’s mother is absent from her life when T. Ray tells her, “the truth is your mother ran off and left you” (Kidd 39). Lily frequently struggles with her lack of a mother figure. In this novel, family members do not always have to be blood relatives. For Lily, her two “motherly” figures are Rosaleen and August. Although Rosaleen’s love for Lily is apparent, she lacks the compassion and gentle nature Lily believes a mother should possess. August’s love, guidance, and understanding provide Lily with her idea of a mother’s love. Like Lily, Sophie in Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory, does not have a functioning relationship with her mother. Raised in Haiti by her Aunt Atie, Sophie only begins to have somewhat of a relationship with her mother when she is flown to New York to live with her when she is 12. Sophie is so attached to her Aunt’s motherly aura; she is determined to give her Aunt the mother’s day card she made in class. Despite her Aunt’s protests for Sophie to save it for her mother because she “will only accept a card on Aunt’s Day.” (Danticat 13) As shown in both novels, the motherly character in contemporary fiction doesn’t have to be a mother at all to have a maternal impact on younger characters.

As previously stated, the idea of the traditional American family has become cliché and outdated. With rising divorce rates, many families are single-parent families or step/blended families. In White Noise, author Don DeLillo illustrates the reality of having a blended family. The main character Jack, a professor of Hitler studies at College-On-The-Hill, is married to his fourth wife, Babette. Together, they have four children from previous marriages living under their roof. With consumerism being the main focus of the novel, the aspect of family seems almost material in the sense that you can easily add and subtract members. In chapter 17, Babette comments to Jack that she likes having all the children around the house. Jack responds by saying “they’ll be one more soon” because Bee, his daughter, is visiting in a couple of days. Babette replies, “Good. Who else can we get?” (DeLillo 80) Babette’s casual nature when discussing “adding” children to the household develops a sense of consumerism that’s applied human life, alluding to the fact that children and other family members are sometimes viewed as objects rather than actual humans with thoughts and emotions. Through works of contemporary fiction, the definition and application of family are frequently explored. The aforementioned novels prove that most all people’s ideas of family are different. Family comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Although all families have different cultures and tradition, the purpose of family, for love and support, is universal.

Works Cited

Cosbey, Janet. "Using Contemporary Fiction to Teach Family Issues." Teaching Sociology. 3rd ed. Vol. 25. American Sociological Association. 227-33. Print.

Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, Memory. New York: Soho, 1994. Print.

DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York, NY: Viking, 1985. Print.

Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. New York: Viking, 2002. Print.

Postmoderism in White Noise

Postmodernism was a literary movement that succeeded the modernism movement. Two world wars left people shaken, and many shifted from the belief that truth can be found in art to the belief that there is no real truth. Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise is a prime example of a postmodern work.

Postmodernism may stem from modernism but it differs from it in many ways. Instead of mourning the state of the world as modernism did, postmodernism revels in the chaos (Klages). Fragmentation and incoherence are no longer used by authors as mourning mechanisms but instead are used to celebrate the lack of meaning and purpose in the world (Klages). Authors playfully employ such literary devices instead of using them symbolically and despondently. Coupled with the discontinuous style, is inconclusiveness. The human experience is seen as vague in meaning so works of postmodernism often do not have endings (“An Introduction”). Art and literature no longer give these ambiguous lives significance. In fact, nothing does. Western values and consumerism are emphasized in a critical way. In the age of technology consumption and loss of purpose have been taken to a whole new level (Klages). Postmodernism aims to parody the state of our world.

In White Noise Don DeLillo offers up many pointed examples of our society being run by consumerism. Popular culture is sprinkled throughout the work. The constant presence of technology, the television in particular, may be the theme from which the novel draws its name. Jack Gladney, the story’s narrator, constantly mentions the television. The moment when Jack finds his wife’s drug Dylar, a significant moment in his married life, is marked by “the voice at the end of the bed” (DeLillo 178). Dylar is its own is a good example of postmodern themes in DeLillo’s novel as it is used to treat the fear of death, an “illness” from which both Jack and Babette suffer. Another important aspect of postmodernism is represented in White Noise by the character of Murray. His constant philosophical statements illustrate the inability to find a reak purpose in the world.

Consumerism is obvious throughout the novel in the mentions of “shiny bags of potato chips… flip-top rings and twist ties” and other such convenience items (7). DeLillo’s writing style and not just characters and plot line is very postmodern as well. On just the first page the reader is introduced to his fragmented style in the form of a fifteen-line list. DeLillo lists “personal computers… controlled substances… and toffee popcorn” amongst essentials for new college students, placing instant gratification in the limelight (1). The novel ends on a note of small-scaled chaos. With the rearrangement of the supermarket “there is a sense of wandering” (326). This lost feeling underlines the work as a whole.

White Noise stands as a solid example of postmodern literature. DeLillo’s themes and style contributed to the budding trend of postmodern writing.
Works Cited

“An Introduction to Modernism & Postmodernism”
Delillo, Don. White Noise. Penguin Books, 1984.
Klages, Mary. “Postmodernism.” Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed. 2007.

Secret Life of Bees

Unlike most contemporary novels, The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, is told form the perspective of a white 14-year old girl. This causes the themes such as racism and religion to be told from a new angle.

The narration sets a new precedent for reading by placing it through Lilly’s eyes. Most times in literature, a child’s view of the world is immature and somewhat naive. It’s obvious that Lilly might not fully understand the issues of world, much as any child would. On page 21 when Lily and Rosaleen are watching TV, for the first time, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passes and put into affect. It’s important to note that the two girls have very different reactions. Being an African American, Rosaleen is thrilled. However, Lily is confused on her feelings. She has never been exposed to such a life-altering situation. (Kidd 21) Lily says, “I didn’t know whether to be excited for her or worried. All people ever talked about after church were the Negroes and whether they’d get their civil rights.” (Kid 21) Obviously, Lily is unsure whether this change is a good or a bad thing.

When Lilly and Rosaleen escaped to Tiburon, Lilly again does not know how to feel. When she goes into with Zach, Lilly says that she was so shocked that all she could do was to stare out the windshield like she was watching a test pattern (Kidd 180). When children do not know how to react to a certain situation, they often just “stare in shock.” However, I think Lily’s use of metaphors throughout the novel is advanced for a child her age. Also, a main point to recognize throughout the novel is that, Lily is not totally unaware of the affect of racism and other issues in general, just how the issues affect her. For example, after the Civil Rights Act is put into use; Lily tags along when Rosaleen goes to register to vote. Not realizing what she’s doing, Lily takes Rosaleen into white church.

Although the concept of a child narrator is not common, Mark Twain’s novel, Huckleberry Finn, is somewhat similar to The Secret Life of Bees. Like Lily, Huck tells the story of his journey down river with a black slave named Jim. At first, Huck is only aware of how racial issues affect Jim, not how they affect him. Huck only becomes aware of the affect on him when he grows close to Jim and fears losing him to a slave master.

I think the use of a child narrator in the novel completed the story. The story would not have had the same affect on its readers if the narrator had been an adult. Kidd’s decision to have Lily tell the story was revolutionary and smart.

Works Cited

Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print