Biblical References in Shakespeares the Tempest

Biblical References in Shakespeares the Tempest Biblical references in Shakespeares The Tempest So much concerns, so much has been said, done, or written about William Shakespeare and his works; there are memorials, museums, theaters in his honor, full actors and actresses companies dedicated to perform only Shakespearean drama, there are even lots of â€Å"Shakespearean scholars†, biographers, etc. He had been given the title of â€Å"The Bard of Avon†, because of the old English word which means â€Å"Poet†, and also because of the Avon river which flows through his hometown, Stratford-Upon-Avon, in which he was born and baptized in April 1564. Notwithstanding, Shakespeares reputation is nowadays so huge among English poets that hes often called just The Bard; the one and the only English poet who has transcended so many generations and has served as a source of inspiration for so many writers throughout history. His life has been subjected to deep research, analysis, and infinite speculations with many different points of view. One of the fields in which one can go through (and which it will be certainly done) is Shakespeares religion and the influence this could have had into his life and works. So many scholars have dared to give their opinions and make judgments of Williams religion according to his life, his family, and by analyzing his works as well. Some of them adjudicate him as a Catholic, regarding specially his origins and Catholic backgrounds; According to Peter Ackroyd (2005) in Shakespeare the Biography, Shakespeares mother, Mary Arden, was the member of a noticeable and firmly Catholic family in Warwickshire. Other scholars and biographers say that William Shakespeare was actually a Protestant. The Shakespeare editor and historian A. L. Rowse (1963) firmly assures that Shakespeare was baptized, grew up, married, and buried into the arms of the Orthodox Church.(p.43). And finall y, the most common trend among modern scholars is that of Shakespeares atheism, based on absence towards two different conceptions; absence of direct references to any sacred book or verse; and absence of Shakespeare himself at the religious services. According to Joseph Pearce (2008), there was a man called John Payne Collier, (a notorious forger of historical documents) who examined the records of St Saviours, South wark Cathedral, and found that Shakespeare, alone among his fellow actors, was not shown as regular attendant to the church. (p.126). Thomas Carter in Shakespeare and Holy Scripture argues that no writer has assimilated the thoughts and reproduced the words of Holy Scripture more copiously than Shakespeare.(Carter, 1905, p. 3) The following paper argues the fact that William Shakespeares Biblical knowledge has had a deep and clear influence in the writing of â€Å"The Tempest†. Three main aspects are going to be considered: The references to Ariel in the books of Isaiah, Psalms, and proverbs; and the story of Joseph, the later leader of one of the Tribes of Israel, in the book of Genesis which inspired Shakespeare order to shape the plot line and development of the character Prospero, in The Tempest.For this purpose, The Tempest, The Holy Bible (in the Geneva Version), the comic The Tempest by Gaiman are going to be the resources to be cited, among others. ADD MORE INFO ROAR OF LIONS=ARIEL= Psalm 22:12-13= Proverbs 19:12, 20:2 WOE TO YOU ARIEL=Isaiah 29= LION OF GOD? Joseph Prospero The Bible tells us in Genesis 39-47 about the story of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, Hebrews living in the land of Canaan. He was the favorite son among his brothers, and they were so jealous because of that, that they plotted to kill him. However, they did not fear to kill him and decided to throw him into a pit, and then sell him to some Midianites merchants on their way to Egypt. The merchants finally sold him to the Egyptians, and once there, even though Joseph went through some distress (getting in jail for example), Gods favor was always with him. This made him able to interpret the Pharaohs dreams, and due to that, they could predict and get prepared for seven years of hunger, and Joseph won the Pharaohs trust. He finally had the possibility to meet with his brothers again, and forgive them for their betrayal. Now, in which way can these events and facts be related to the ones which Prospero had to go through? A step to step analysis is going to be developed. First of all, Joseph and Prospero parallel each other as victims of jealous siblings. Unfavored siblings in both works cannot stand the fact that the protagonists are receiving special privileges and that potentially (in the case of Joseph) or actually (in the case of Prospero) are ruling them. The narration in Genesis states, â€Å"So when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, then they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.† (37:4 Geneva Bible) They hate Joseph even more after he tells them of dreams suggesting that someday he will rule over them. â€Å"[†¦] shalt thou reign over us, and rule us? Or shalt thou have altogether dominion over us?† (37:8) In The Tempest, Prospero did not need a dream to reign over his brother Antonio; he actually was the original ruler of their home city-state, Milan. But Prospero, as well as Joseph,was somehow a dreamer too, more interested in books rather than in the affairs of the government, giving Antonio the opportunity to plot with Alonso, King of Naples, and overthrow Prospero usurping the dukedom for himself. (Shakespeare, 1611. Act 1, sc, 2, 66- 132). Since Prospero was popular with the common people, they did not dare to kill him. Instead, they put him and his daughter Miranda in a boat, and leaving them adrift in the sea, leaving their fate to the mercy of the elements: In few, they hurried us aboard a barque, Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast—the very rats Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us, To cry to th sea that roared to us, to sigh To th winds, whose pity, sighing back again, Did us but loving wrong. (Act I, sc 2, 144-151) These harsh conditions can be clearly compared to the ones in Genesis, as something very similar happens to Joseph; when the opportunity is given, his brothers â€Å"conspired against him for to slay him.† (37:18) but then they decided to â€Å"Shed not blood† (37: 22) and throw him into a pit without any food or water for then selling him to Midianite merchants, leaving his fate to the mercy them (37:23-28). Later on then, in both works, Joseph and Prospero use their ingeniousness to success in an foreign and unknown land. Actually, they both become rulers of their new land, by using their wisdom and abilities combined with supernatural forces (magic, Gods favor) to gain power. On one hand, Joseph is sold again, this time in Egypt, where he is imprisoned on false charges. But â€Å"the LORD was with him; for whatsoever he did, the LORD made it to prosper.† (39:23) Joseph was given the ability to interpret dreams, and this talent calls the Pharaohs attention; Joseph interprets Pharaohs dreams which no other wizard or soothsayer could, foretelling seven years of plentiful harvests followed by seven years of hunger, and suggesting a plan for crop rationing in order to save food for the famine times. This impresses the Pharaoh so much, that he gives Joseph domain over the whole land of Egypt (41: 41). On the other hand, Prospero comes ashore on a unknown island, in his own words, â€Å"By Providence divine† (Act. I, sc 2, 159) and there, he uses the magic he has learned from books to overthrow the witch who had ruled and become ruler himself—although the island is so desolate that as Caliban points out to him, â€Å"I am all the subjects that you have† (1.2.344). Joseph and Prospero eventually achieve positions of power over their former betrayers. Both can choose from a variety of actions: seek revenge, test for signs of repentance, or offer forgiveness. Both men eventually choose all three, in the aforementioned order. -By the time Joseph and Prospero confront their former betrayers, years after the betrayal, the onetime conspirators are helpless, having been humbled and unknowingly brought to the protagonist by what appear to be forces of nature but are actually supernatural forces. In Genesis, when the famine comes—reflecting Gods will, given that Joseph, the man favored by God, could predict it—Israel and his sons are starving, while Joseph and the Egyp- tians have plenty. Thus, Josephs brothers—all except Benjamin, the youngest and the new favorite of the father—must go to Egypt and beg to buy corn from Joseph. Although they do not recognize him, he recognizes them, and he real- izes, as they bow helplessly before him, that his earlier dreams of ruling over them have been fulfilled (41.50-42.9). Prospero, in turn, after twelve years on the island creates his own â€Å"supernatural nature†: when a ship carrying his former enemies passes near, Prospero conjures up the tempest that gives the play its name, and his enemies are washed ashore after a shipwreck, with Alonso disconsolate because he thinks his son Ferdinand has drowned in the storm. Although they cannot see Prospero unless he chooses, he can see them when he chooses (3.3.17-93), and he realizes, as they struggle helplessly before his magic, that his longtime dreams of repaying his enemies can now be fulfilled. Initially, Joseph and Prospero make their former betrayers squirm and regret their past cruelty, even associating that cruelty with the possible death of a beloved child. Although Joseph provides his siblings with the corn they seek, he employs subordinates to confuse and torment them by planting circumstantial evidence suggesting they are thieves (42.24-28). He also briefly imprisons them on false charges, thus making them undergo what he suffered after their transgressions in the past. He leaves one brother imprisoned, so that their father thinks he may be dead (42.36), and pressures the others to produce Benjamin, the youngest brother, moving the remaining brothers to say to each other, â€Å"No doubt we deserve to be punished because of our brother [Joseph], whose suffering we saw; for when he pleaded with us we refused to listen† 226(42.9-21). In The Tempest, Prospero employs spirits to confuse and torment his former betrayers, and has his supernatural servant Ariel remind them of their past transgressions until Alonso laments that the thunder proclaimed his transgressions against Prospero, transgressions for which he believes he has been punished by his sons death (3.3.97-100). But Joseph and Prospero do not simply torment their former betrayers into repentance; they also test them by virtually replicating the circumstances of the original betrayal, in effect giving the betrayers a second chance. Joseph manipulates the brothers into agreeing that if one of them can be proven to have stolen from Joseph, he should become Josephs slave; he then uses planted evidence to frame Benjamin. Thus, the brothers face essentially the same question they faced years earlier when they sold Joseph: Will they be party to the enslavement of their younger brother, their fathers favorite, despite his innocence? They redeem themselves by pleading Benjamins case, one even offering to take Benjamins place as slave (44.1-34). While The Tempest resembles the Joseph account in replicating the circumstances of the initial betrayal, the guilty brothers response is much different—a contrast contributing to the unstable nature of the ending to Shakespeares play. Prospero causes Alonso and his guards to fall asleep, while Antonio and Alonsos brother Sebastian remain awake, unaware that Prospero is alive and following their actions. Thus, the earlier situation is replicated: An oblivious ruler could be supplanted by a conspiracy between that rulers brother and the ruler of another Italian city-state. But far from redeeming himself, Antonio suggests to Sebastian that the two of them should kill the sleeping Alonso, thus allowing Sebastian to usurp his brothers kingdom (2.1.205-98); they even explicitly compare this with Antonios earlier overthrow of Prospero as they prepare to carry out the murder (2.1.271-76, 292-94). Prospero must employ Ariel to save Alonsos life (2.1.299-307). Unlike Josephs brothers, Prosperos brother Antonio remains a dangerous man, one to be watched closely. Despite Antonios unrepentant nature, in both works the protagonists eventually forgive their brothers—although they do so from a position of absolute power. His torments and tests of his brothers complete, Joseph finally reveals his identity to them (45.1-4). And although his brothers fear further reprisals and beg forgiveness (50.15-18), Joseph magnanimously tells them, â€Å"Do not be distressed or take it amiss that you sold me into slavery here . . .† (45.5)—a statement made easier by his brothers groveling before him in his role as virtual ruler. Similarly, Prospero eventually decides to act â€Å"in virtue [rather] than in vengeance† (5.1.28) and reveals himself to Antonio and Alonso. He also tells his brother, â€Å"I do forgive thy rankest fault†Ã¢â‚¬â€although he forgives only on the condition that he be restored to his former, and rightful, position as Duke of Milan (5.1.131-34).227Last, in their entire experience with betrayal, exile, redemption, and reconciliation, Joseph and Prospero are instruments of a divine plan to save not only the current generation but also its descendants. Moreover, through forgiving those who betrayed them, Joseph and Prospero not only unite families but also unite states that had been historically unfriendly to each other. Joseph invites all his brothers and their father, Israel—effectively inviting â€Å"the twelve tribes of Israel†Ã¢â‚¬â€to live with him in Egypt, and they accept (45.9-13, 46.1-7). Joseph explains to his brothers that the reason they should not feel guilty about having sold him into slavery is that if they had not done so, many people would have starved and the â€Å"tribes of Israel† would have been wiped out: â€Å"[I]t was God who sent me ahead of you to save mens lives. . . . [and] to ensure that you will have descendants on earth, and to preserve you all, a great band of survivors† (45.5-7). In addition, Joseph has by now married and had sons by the daughter of an Egyptian priest, giving Jews and Egyptians a shared set of descendants (41.45, 50-52). Thus, Josephs early misfortunes were part of a divine plan for the future state of Israel. In The Tempest, Prospero has arranged that his daughter (the rightful Duchess of Milan) and Alonsos son (the heir to the throne of Naples) should fall in love with each other, and as the play ends, the lovers imminent marriage promises to unite the formerly hostile Italian city-states and give them a shared set of descendants. This conclusion supports Prosperos earlier observation that although he and Miranda were exiled from Milan through foul play, they were â€Å"blessedly† helped onto the island (1.2.62-63). And Gonzalo, a courtier and an old friend of Prosperos, states on learning of the upcoming marriage of Prosperos daughter to Alonsos son that it is the gods that â€Å"have chalked forth the way / Which brought us hither† and that Prospero was â€Å"thrust from Milan, that his issue / Should become kings of Naples† (5.1.2058). Although Shakespeare perhaps had to refer to â€Å"the gods† rather than â€Å"God† because of a 1606 law banning r eferences to â€Å"God† onstage (Bevington 1204), the play suggests that Prosperos earlier misfortunes were part of a larger divine plan for â€Å"descendants on earth.† In Genesis, however, Gods divine plan for Josephs descendants has a darker side. Many years earlier, God had told Josephs great-grandfather Abraham, â€Å"[Y]our descendants will be aliens living in a land that is not theirs; they will be slaves, and will be held in oppression there for four hundred years† (15:13). Years after Josephs people were reunited in Egypt, the Egyptians enslaved the Jews, treating them â€Å"with ruthless severity† and subjecting them to â€Å"every kind of hard labor† (Exod. 1.13-14). It is here that a typological reading destabilizes the optimistic ending of The Tempest. While Shakespeares play seems to end with a vision of perfect order and reconciliation, the forces of disorder remain intact and largely unrepentant. For Prospero and his people, as for Joseph and his, the â€Å"reconciliation to a 228richer and fuller life† may be only temporary (Traversi 269-70). Shakespeare may have at least subconsciously created a level of religious allegory that undermines the â€Å"brave new world† (5.1.185) and subtly questions the wisdom of Prosperos decision to act in â€Å"virtue [rather] than in vengeance† (5.1.28).

Symbolism in Plays: Comparison of Dorfman and DÏ‹rrenmatt

Symbolism in Plays: Comparison of Dorfman and DÏ‹rrenmatt The usage of allegorical references and symbolism is essential when delivering the playwrights intended messages to the audience. The author of Death and the Maiden, Ariel Dorfman, and the author of The Visit, Friedrich DÏ‹rrenmatt, both convey messages which regard human society through the use of symbols. By creating characters that represent social issues such as anti-religion, patriarchal values, and loss of ethics, both writers utilize the outcomes of characters to deliver their opinions. Furthermore, both plays emphasize social issues, elicit causes, and imply solutions to the issues addressed by utilizing allegorical references. In Death and the Maiden, Dorfman addresses the situation of his home country, Chile, while in The Visit, DÏ‹rrenmatt uses biblical allusions. Both plays, The Visit and Death and the Maiden make use of allegories to convey a message. DÏ‹rrenmatt uses symbols to construct a biblical allusion in The Visit and deliver his message; that greed holds the ability to decay moral values and that money has the power to assume personalities. The allusion is made up of Ill, the Christ figure, who must sacrifice himself for the betterment of Guellen, which is â€Å"rotting to death† (DÏ‹rrenmatt 12). The desperate nature of the town is obvious through the excitement caused by the arrival of Claire Zachanassian. Since her wealth is well-known, it immediately sheds hope upon Guellen that she will come to save the town from its poverty. Ironically, she does the exact opposite. Claire, the satanic figure, introduces temptation, which slowly diminishes the moral values the town is so much known to uphold. By offering the million dollars in return for Ills death, the power of greed is executed through the transformation of Guelle ns citizens. At first, the mayor states that he â€Å"reject[s] [Claires] offer† in â€Å"the name of humanity† and that he would rather live through poverty than have â€Å"blood on [his] hands† (39). The mayors tone is extremely certain, emphasizing to what extent his transformation really is. By the end of the play, the mayor has already fooled himself into thinking that by killing Ill it would be better for humanity. For the sacrifice of one, it would â€Å"save† the town. Temptation has led Guellen to believe that their decision to kill Ill was not derived through the money, but through the â€Å"matter of justice† (91). This moral decline portrays through the use of the biblical allusion, which DÏ‹rrenmatt creates for one specific purpose; to deliver a caveat towards greed. The paradox of greed, in this case, derives from Claire. In one aspect, she saves Guellen from poverty, hunger, and imminent destruction. Yet, she introduces greed and murder, which subsequently leads to the loss of ethics and gain of antireligious values. Indeed, she saves the town in one way, but destroys the town in another. In the play Death and the Maiden, Ariel Dorfman creates an allegory portraying the cruel government of Chile and the struggles to transition away from it into a new leadership. The characters of the play are symbols to portray these struggles to heal. Additionally, the personalities of these characters portray the necessities of people after such an event; such as justice, revenge, and acceptance. Although the old regime is out of order, the effects of the crimes against human rights are not so easily forgotten. After being brutally tortured and raped, Paulina Salas struggles in her life. She finds it easy to suppress her memories, but never finds a way to accept the past. Hence, Paulina is a symbol of revenge, which Dorfman creates to emphasize the struggle to heal. When Doctor Miranda, her alleged rapist, arrives to her house, she recognizes his voice, which â€Å"during all these years not an hour has passed that [she hasnt] heard it† (Dorfman 22), proving her inability to accept the past, and describing her personality as vengeful. Her ability to recall the Doctors voice from years in the past portrays the extent to which the memories of her past still affect her present. When the Doctor wakes up after spending the night, he sees Paulina, who is holding a gun and â€Å"[pointing] it playfully in his direction† (20). Knowing her thoughts, her intentions are made clear. She wants him to feel sorry and repent, yet claims it is not â€Å"vengeance† (34) which drives her. Through Paulina, Dorfman uses her inability to forget as an example of social issues which pertain to Chile. By portraying her as a woman who has been affected by events directly linked to a cruel government, he represents all women in Chiles reality, who have suffered through the old regime. Moreover, by making her personality vengeful, he directly implies that many women in Chile are also seeking closure through revenge. When Dorfman ends his play with mirrors dropping do wn, he implies that the plot directs towards the audience, and is suppose to catalyze self exploration amongst them. Dorfman also creates Gerardo Escobar as a lawyer who has been appointed to a commission that will examine human rights abuses during the past dictatorship. This career is ironic because of his wife; who has had her rights abused, but seeks justice not through her husband, but through revenge. Both of Escobars occupations, as a lawyer and a member of the commission, serve as support for the idea that he is a symbol of justice. Dorfman creates this dichotomy of roles to show the different way people deal with the struggle. The way Paulina does; through revenge, which is seeking justice with an evil intention, or the way Escobar does; through justice and acceptance. Escobar constantly states that these crimes were held â€Å"fifteen years ago† (36), and to â€Å"put him on trial† (34) instead of seek revenge the way Paulina does, proving that Escobar has accepted what has happened and holds no grudge. Although Paulina retorts that crimes had not been directly done towards him, indeed, they had. Escobar is directly affected because though he had not been abused, his wife had, giving him a link. Dorfman uses Escobar as a symbol to portray the way people should handle violations of human rights, with acceptance. To prove this method correct, Dorfman then uses Paulina as a symbol for revenge to show that if people cannot come to terms with the past, they will constantly seek revenge, never find peace, and consequently struggle to heal. Both authors, DÏ‹rrenmatt and Dorfman, utilize symbolism and allegories to deliver their own messages about their views on society. DÏ‹rrenmatt believes that if humanity succumbs to temptation, moral decline is unavoidable. He demonstrates the serious nature of this warning by implementing the idea into a biblical allusion. This allusion portrays that death and anti-religion follows greed. Dorfman similarly conveys a message through an allusion of his home country Chile. By portraying a womens struggle to overcome her cruel past and making her symbolize revenge, Dorfman demonstrates the flaws of such an approach. He shows that if revenge is what you seek, a person can never find closure, and that the only way one can obtain peace is through acceptance and mercy. Work Cited Dorfman, Ariel. Death and the Maiden. New York: Penguin Books, 1991. Durrenmatt, Friedrich. The Visit. Tans. Patrick Bowles. New York: Grove Press, 1956.

Declaration of Independence Essay -- U.S. History

Children’s voice shouting in parades, spinning noise-makers, giant flags of red, white, and blue waving in every corner of the street, fireworks light up the night sky, friends and family gathering around with big smile on their faces; it is not somebody’s birthday nor it is an ordinary day. It is a true festival, a country’s birthday. The Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the glorious day in 1776 when America, as a new nation declared to the world its independence from monarchs. Because of the importance of this day, thus, the Declaration of Independence can be considered as one of the most influential documents in American History. Not only that, other organizations and countries have also adopted its manner and tones for their own documents or declarations, such as â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of Man† from France or the â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† from the Women’s Right movement. After the Congress ratified the text on July Fourth, the Declaration of Independence had been issued in several forms. It was originally published as a printed broadside that was generally distributed and read to the public. Nevertheless, although the wording was approved on the Fourth of July, most historians have concluded that â€Å"it was signed almost a month later after its adoption, not on July Fourth as is commonly believed† . The Declaration not only justified the independence of the United States of America by listing colonial complaints against King George III, but it also asserted certain and legal rights, including the right of evolution. Nonetheless, after the American Revolution, the original purpose of the text was ignored. Since then, the Declaration of Independence can only be viewed as a major statement on human rights. Yet, the ques... ...lic (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 123–24 John H. Hazelton, The Declaration of independence: its history (New York, Dodd, Mead and Company, 1906), 13 George William Frederick, His Majesty's most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament, on Friday, October 27 [i.e. Thursday, October 26], 1775 (Philadelphia, Printed by Hall and Sellers, 1776) Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretative History of the Continental Congress (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979), 89 Herbert Friedenwald, The Declaration of Independence: an interpretation and an analysis (New York, The Macmillan Company, 1904), 67 Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 41 Brian Boyd, Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition and Fiction (Massachusetts, Belknap of Harvard UP, 2010), 21 Declaration of Independence Essay -- U.S. History Children’s voice shouting in parades, spinning noise-makers, giant flags of red, white, and blue waving in every corner of the street, fireworks light up the night sky, friends and family gathering around with big smile on their faces; it is not somebody’s birthday nor it is an ordinary day. It is a true festival, a country’s birthday. The Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the glorious day in 1776 when America, as a new nation declared to the world its independence from monarchs. Because of the importance of this day, thus, the Declaration of Independence can be considered as one of the most influential documents in American History. Not only that, other organizations and countries have also adopted its manner and tones for their own documents or declarations, such as â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of Man† from France or the â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† from the Women’s Right movement. After the Congress ratified the text on July Fourth, the Declaration of Independence had been issued in several forms. It was originally published as a printed broadside that was generally distributed and read to the public. Nevertheless, although the wording was approved on the Fourth of July, most historians have concluded that â€Å"it was signed almost a month later after its adoption, not on July Fourth as is commonly believed† . The Declaration not only justified the independence of the United States of America by listing colonial complaints against King George III, but it also asserted certain and legal rights, including the right of evolution. Nonetheless, after the American Revolution, the original purpose of the text was ignored. Since then, the Declaration of Independence can only be viewed as a major statement on human rights. Yet, the ques... ...lic (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 123–24 John H. Hazelton, The Declaration of independence: its history (New York, Dodd, Mead and Company, 1906), 13 George William Frederick, His Majesty's most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament, on Friday, October 27 [i.e. Thursday, October 26], 1775 (Philadelphia, Printed by Hall and Sellers, 1776) Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretative History of the Continental Congress (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979), 89 Herbert Friedenwald, The Declaration of Independence: an interpretation and an analysis (New York, The Macmillan Company, 1904), 67 Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 41 Brian Boyd, Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition and Fiction (Massachusetts, Belknap of Harvard UP, 2010), 21

The Effects Of Divorce on Students :: Essays Papers

The Effects Of Divorce on Students How significant is the impact of divorce on children? There have been studies that show that divorce has a negative effect on children. The impact on a child's life often varies depending on the type of divorce and the age of the child during the divorce. The influence of a separation normally effects a child's learning and behavior skills. For a young child the concept of divorce is something that creates many misconceptions. Children do not understand the true meaning or reasoning behind why their parents would ever want to be separated. The initial reaction for most children is to blame themselves or to create a type of reasoning that they can relate to. Due to this, many children often concentrate on rebuilding their family structure instead of engaging in normal childhood activities. Sudden changes in a household can disturb a child's psychological well being. Children sometimes have a tough time being separated from their parents; they fear that if one parent can leave them why can't the other. Role changes often also occur; the mother may begin to work or a baby-sitter may now play a role in the child's life. The feeling of sadness, loss and abandonment are emotions that almost all children go through. As children develop in households that have experienced divorces, problems begin to come out in many phases of the child's life. After reading an article about the effects of divorce on young children I learned many interesting issues dealing with divorce. The authors say â€Å"Although there is considerable variability in outcomes over time, children in divorced and remarried families are more likely than children from non divorced families to have problems in their relationships with parents, siblings, and peers as well as lower self-esteem and academic problems† (Hetherington, Bridges, & Insabella, 1998,pg#2-3). The article also discuses the fact that the percentage of children who drop out of school and have divorced parents is greater then drop out rate of students who's parents are still married (Pedro-Carroll, 1999 pg.3). Over the years organizations have been established to help children cope with issues that have to due with divorce. An organization called The Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP) is a support program that was formed to meet the needs of children.