Big Brother - Geranium
In the short stories the “Big Brother Little Sister” by Witi Ihamaera and “The Geranium” by Patricia Grace the characters make important decisions that affects their lives. In the course of both stories we learn that the characters suffer from domestic abuse and want to be free but at the end they decide to stay.
In Big Brother Little Sister the reader learns that the most important decision that Hema makes is to go back home even thought their life is miserable. When the once the children’s mum hit Janey, Hema was the one who consoled her “He crawled under the bed and put his arms around her” this shows that Hema is mostly the caregiver of his little sister Janey. Hema has always stood in front and taken the hit, to shelter his sibling from other people around them while their mum is a weak natured person and isn’t a very good parent. Which is why they decide to run away from home because they both have had enough of their mum’s boyfriend and believe she would be happier without them. But Hema then realises that he loves his mum too much to leave her by herself so he decides to go home “Home. Yes, life with mum was home” even though their mum didn’t take care of them, this conveys to the reader the idea that people love their family and are loyal to them even though they harm them.
Another story that shows the idea of loyalty towards family is the Geranium by Patricia Grace where Marney the main character is a stay at home mother. She cleans intensely all day and seems rather dull. She does not leave the house even when one of her friends tells her to "come for a stretch." The reader learns she is hesitant and can feel that there is something stopping her from leaving the house. She also seems to have a routine of non-stop cleaning, because when her friends, Sandra and Joe, come over this doesn't stop her from making sure things are clean, “Marney washed the cups and wiped the table down”.
The highlight of her week is the arrival of the "paper that came on
In Big Brother Little Sister the reader learns that the most important decision that Hema makes is to go back home even thought their life is miserable. When the once the children’s mum hit Janey, Hema was the one who consoled her “He crawled under the bed and put his arms around her” this shows that Hema is mostly the caregiver of his little sister Janey. Hema has always stood in front and taken the hit, to shelter his sibling from other people around them while their mum is a weak natured person and isn’t a very good parent. Which is why they decide to run away from home because they both have had enough of their mum’s boyfriend and believe she would be happier without them. But Hema then realises that he loves his mum too much to leave her by herself so he decides to go home “Home. Yes, life with mum was home” even though their mum didn’t take care of them, this conveys to the reader the idea that people love their family and are loyal to them even though they harm them.
Another story that shows the idea of loyalty towards family is the Geranium by Patricia Grace where Marney the main character is a stay at home mother. She cleans intensely all day and seems rather dull. She does not leave the house even when one of her friends tells her to "come for a stretch." The reader learns she is hesitant and can feel that there is something stopping her from leaving the house. She also seems to have a routine of non-stop cleaning, because when her friends, Sandra and Joe, come over this doesn't stop her from making sure things are clean, “Marney washed the cups and wiped the table down”.
The highlight of her week is the arrival of the "paper that came on