Only Drunks And Children Tell The Truth Character Analysis

The Importance of Family

For most people, family are the people that are always reliable and trustworthy. Friends can come and go but family is always there. For this reason you should never turn your back on family. Loyalty within a family is crucial for the emotional stability of each individual. They provide support, guidance, which is important for everyone. In Drew Hayden Taylor’s Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth the characters struggle with family loyalty and values.
Support from family members is very important and can have very negative effects when it is absent. People often rely on support from family when in troubling circumstances or situations. It can be comforting to have help from family when it is needed so
it is beneficial to have a loyal and reliable family to count on or help. In the play Barb says, “... When Dad died, I held the family together. When Paul died, I held the family together. I’m used to this now.” (Taylor, page 34.) Barb supported her family during troubling times even when her mother, who should have played this role couldn’t. Her willingness to help her family is something everyone should have. Giving support to family members instead of keeping to her emotions sustained the family dynamic. With her support she helped the individuals in her family feel more secure after the loss of a loved one.
This same idea connects with the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. In the book the main character, Katniss is very supportive with her family. Like Barb, Katniss has to support her family after the loss of a loved one because her mother loses the motivation to even take care of herself after her husband dies. Katniss assumes the role and takes care of both her mother and her little sister. Supporting her family is essential to Katniss because without each other they have nothing. Katniss also supports her friend Gale who she considers family, by hunting to help feed both his family and hers. He does the same for her when she is sent to the Hunger Games. This shows the dependence people have on their families. Nobody wants to go through life alone.
Guidance from family is essential in shaping character and development of the children.
Without family, people will have no one to guide them through childhood and assist with decisions through adulthood. The role of parents and sibling can have a huge impact on the development of a child. If one member breaks their commitment to family values, the next generation may lack the optimal environment to grow up in. The play successfully portrays how people can differentiate depending on how they are raised and by whom. Barb’s sister Janice was raised by a different family and therefore has values and beliefs than Barb even though they are sisters. Barb tells Janice, “ Back in Otter Lake, if somebody’s not home, we wait inside” (Taylor, 28). This quote shows an example of a difference in social customs between the two because of where they were raised. Although the quote doesn’t show why guidance is essential, it does show how guidance can shape whom someone is regardless of where they were born. With that in mind one can imagine what it would be like for someone without a family to provide guidance. People should stay true to their family because everybody relies on guidance from their family even when they are not blood
related.
Evidence that guidance is important is very prevalent in the real world. There are many studies written on the subject including one by Grace Keiner. She says guidance plays a huge developmental role in self-confidence, learning from mistakes, and optimism. Imagine someone who lacked those three things. Guidance from family is key for the well being of a person. This is why you cannot turn your back on your family, they rely on you and you rely on them.
Staying loyal to family is of upmost importance because a good family dynamic is required for healthy development as well as physical and emotional security. They provide support and assistance when you need it. Barb Helps her family deal with the emotional stress of the death of her brother and father. Families give guidance to each other throughout their lives, which shapes whom they are. Janice and Barb’s difference in culture and beliefs comes from their different families. Family is what brings us together, makes who we are, and what gets us through life. Being disloyal to ones family is like being disloyal to one’s self so family should be the one thing that is always held true to.