RAISING A MORAL CHILD

A good parent is invaluable to our society. Without good parents, we face a hopeless future. You know one when you meet one, because they share similar qualities, such as:

Self-Sacrificing

One of the chief qualities that distinguishes a good parent from a bad parent is self-sacrifice. A good parent does all that she can to meet the needs of her children, and nurturing her children is the most important thing in her life (along with the relationship with her spouse). It guides her decisions, the ways she spends money and how much or little personal time she takes for herself. Even the decision to work from home and not outside the home demonstrates a self-sacrificing attitude.

Teachable

If you want to be a good parent, you must have a teachable spirit. You can't be a "know it all." That's not to say that you should follow all or even most of the advice that's freely given to you, and especially when they conflict with your values and ethics. However, if there aren't any conflicting values and if there's evidence that a practice works well in a family, then you should humbly receive and implement good advice. A bad parent shuns all advice and instruction from experienced parents, and views it all as an attack. That's the wrong approach, and you could avoid a lot of painful mistakes if you are willing to listen and be taught.

Curious

A key trait of a good parent is curiosity. There is so much to learn about basic parental duties and responsibilities that it can be overwhelming when you're raising your first child. Learning all that you can in order to do the best job possible is something that good parents do, and being curious play a big role. For example, a parent who is curious will want to investigate why some parents only feed organic foods to their children, to see what they can learn and whether that's a practice they should implement in their home. A parent, who is not curious, won't bother to do any research or ask questions. Constantly learning, keeping informed and doing your own research benefits your children and in many ways, protects them.

LITERATURE ANALYSIS (GRAPES OF WRATH)

                                       Grapes Of Wrath:

                                                                                 

MAIN CHARACTERS:

• Tom Joad:

The central character of the novel, he is a recently released inmate imprisoned for murder who returns home to find that his family has lost their farm and is moving west to California. Tom is a plainspoken, forthright and direct man, yet he still retains some of his violent tendencies.

• Ma Joad:

The mother of Noah, Tom, Rose of Sharon, Ruthie and Winfield, Ma Joad is a woman accustomed to hardship and deprivation. She is a forceful woman who is determined to keep her family together at nearly all costs, yet remains kind toward all, even sparing what little the family has for those even less fortunate.

• Pa Joad:

Although Pa Joad is the head of the Joad household, he is not a forceful presence. Without the ability to provide for his family, he recedes into the background, playing little prominent role in deciding the fate of his family.

CLIMAX: 

• The climax occurs in Chapter 26 when Casy is murdered, and Tom avenges his death and goes into hiding. These events cause Tom to mature and accept the philosophies of Casy. He realizes that the only way to fight the poverty and poor treatment is to take unified action. 

OUTCOME:

• The novel outwardly ends in tragedy. The Joads, like all the migrant workers, are continually plagued and threatened from the start of their journey to California. Their lives progressively deteriorate until the novel's ending when the family is considerably reduced in number, and Rose of Sharon's stillborn child is seen floating downstream. They have no money or no food for the winter, and have no idea how they will make it. Tom Joad, the protagonist, fully shares in the family’s suffering from intense poverty.In addition, Tom lives in fear of being discovered as a murderer. The only bright spot in a bleak ending to the novel is Tom Joad’s new insight about life. He becomes aware that he has to be concerned not only for his own family's welfare, but also for the welfare of all families. It is only through a united effort that the migrant workers can rise above their extremely low level of poverty. Ma, the pillar of strength, who has cared mainly for her own family, also embraces this philosophy, and Rose of Sharon is seen nursing a dying man in the last scene of the novel. These are also small signs of hope.