Ghosts From The Nursery And A General Theory Of Love Analysis

When a child is conceived, the common reactions parents endure are fulfillment, happiness, and excitement as a miracle has been bestowed upon them. As the nine months quickly pass by, the mother is anxiously waiting to cradle and nurture her child after it is born. But why should she wait for the birth of her child? At the sound and sight of her child, she realizes that all the pain, which felt everlasting, was worth it. She extends her arms with the anticipation of embracing her baby; this is where, to her, it all truly begins. Would it be wrong if the mother were to begin her nurturing at an early stage? Or does it not matter when the nurturing actually begins? The nature of love is sometimes oversimplified as individuals believe that the “appropriate
The authors in Ghosts from the Nursery and A General Theory of Love both agree upon the idea that love is the most essential aspect of a child’s development. In both literary works, all of the contributing authors explicitly analyze how love can shape a child’s emotional world, yet damage it if not nurtured appropriately. Before the twentieth century, scientists theorized that the lack of human contact and love were not as essential as protecting the child from infections. They were wrong. According to Spitz, he discovered that although the physical needs of children were met, they became withdrawn and sickly, and lost weight (Lewis, Amini, & Lannon 69). Within A General Theory of Love, the authors utilize the words “physical” and “withdrawn” to provide a strong emphasis on the emotional development of a human being. Such descriptive language enforces the mentality of many physicians, scientists, and psychologists within an earlier century. However, because there was a strong emphasis on the physical (scientific) aspect of a child’s life, the emotional aspect was ignored. According to