How Does Bether's Family Lead To Loss Of Happiness

family is a huge leap in her coming of age. In making her decision, Mick has completely thrown away her dreams and her childhood. Ultimately, because of her family’s neglect, Mick’s happiness is hindered as she takes on the heavy responsibility of providing for her family, thereby disregarding her own happiness in the process. Similarly, in Anderson-Dargatz’s The Cure for Death by Lightning, Beth’s family acts as a key obstacle in her search for happiness. In doing so, Beth’s family hinders her from achieving happiness due to their reputation in Turtle Valley. This is seen when Beth reflects upon how she is bullied at school due to her father’s reputation. Beth states:

The only friendship I’d had my father had undone with his strange rages in this last year since the bear attacked our camp. … Now, at school, when she wasn’t ignoring me, Lily Bell joined the other kids in taunting me over my father’s craziness. … Parker shoved his hands in the pockets of his denims and rocked back on his heels. ‘Your father’s gone crazy,’ said Parker. ‘Turned into a wild man. Too long in the hills, eh?’ (88-9)
This shows how her father acts as a barrier to Beth’s happiness: because of his reputation, Beth is an outcast among her schoolmates, keeping her from making friends or even being accepted within society. Ultimately, because of her family’s reputation, Beth is hindered from happiness as she is shunned and abused by her schoolmates due to her father’s behaviour. Furthermore, Beth is hindered from happiness as she is neglected by her family; more specifically, her happiness is hindered because of the abuse inflicted on her by her father. This instance is seen the night after the community dinner. Beth