Analyzing Wendy's Relationships in Joyce Maynard's The Usual Rules
Wendy’s Relationships in The Usual Rules
In the novel The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard, Wendy is faced with many questions following her mother’s death. She is faced with self-actualizing and becoming independent as well as self-sufficient without the aid of a strong maternal or paternal figure. Following the aftermath of 9/11, instead of responding to the events in an emotionally selfish way, Wendy attempts to fill the void left by her mother by nurturing and caring for Louie in Josh’s absence. The largest factor in Wendy’s change in behavior is the effect of the relationships she makes whilst living in California.
When Wendy goes to California, she tries to begin a new life by taking advantage of her clean slate, and thus lies to the people she meets because she would rather them not feel pity for her. She would rather the world to get to know her for who she is as a person and not for the events that have transpired within the last month. She explores her new found independence by choosing to take the initiative of going into town and spending her days there as opposed to spending it in school like the typical teenage girl would be expected to. Wendy receives life lessons and makes real world interactions with the people around her in the time she spends on the streets. The independent thoughts she makes and actions she takes, while purely experimental, and having no regard for her future, shape her behavior and transform her into an adult.
When Wendy meets Alan, she sees a strong, unbreakable paternal figure. While Alan could have easily crumbled after his wife had left him he instead chose to take the negative impact it had made on him and his son, and make it positive by becoming closer and even more involved with his son. This shows Wendy what it means to be a father, and shows her the values in fatherhood. It is apparent that this experience makes her realize that while Josh is not her biological father, he certainly exhibits many of the important core
In the novel The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard, Wendy is faced with many questions following her mother’s death. She is faced with self-actualizing and becoming independent as well as self-sufficient without the aid of a strong maternal or paternal figure. Following the aftermath of 9/11, instead of responding to the events in an emotionally selfish way, Wendy attempts to fill the void left by her mother by nurturing and caring for Louie in Josh’s absence. The largest factor in Wendy’s change in behavior is the effect of the relationships she makes whilst living in California.
When Wendy goes to California, she tries to begin a new life by taking advantage of her clean slate, and thus lies to the people she meets because she would rather them not feel pity for her. She would rather the world to get to know her for who she is as a person and not for the events that have transpired within the last month. She explores her new found independence by choosing to take the initiative of going into town and spending her days there as opposed to spending it in school like the typical teenage girl would be expected to. Wendy receives life lessons and makes real world interactions with the people around her in the time she spends on the streets. The independent thoughts she makes and actions she takes, while purely experimental, and having no regard for her future, shape her behavior and transform her into an adult.
When Wendy meets Alan, she sees a strong, unbreakable paternal figure. While Alan could have easily crumbled after his wife had left him he instead chose to take the negative impact it had made on him and his son, and make it positive by becoming closer and even more involved with his son. This shows Wendy what it means to be a father, and shows her the values in fatherhood. It is apparent that this experience makes her realize that while Josh is not her biological father, he certainly exhibits many of the important core