Relationships Context Essat

Prompt: Family relationships are more important than those built with friends and peers.

Getting started: First of all, I though about the texts, in order decide if I could think of scenarios from the Black Balloon to support my arguments. Then I came up with the following general ideas that I knew I would be able to find evidence to back up.

Ideas:
Family relationships teach responsibility
Family relationships allow for learning by making mistakes
Family relationships provide the skills needed to function in other relationships.

So each paragraph will discuss one of the ideas above, and my contention supports the prompt. The contention, however, does not have to support the prompt necessarily. It can simply discuss different aspects and truths raised through the prompt.

The Essay

All types of relationships hold value and significance in the lives of individuals. It is those built between family members, however, that are the most important. Firstly, family relationships teach individuals how to uphold a sense of responsibility. Each individual plays a vital role and carries a unique responsibility within the family unit. Secondly, Families provide tolerant and nurturing environments for individuals to learn, by allowing mistakes to be made and as well as personal decision-making to occur. Finally, what makes family relationships most important is that learning healthy and productive ways to communicate begins within the family. Without stable home and family lives, individuals are less likely to be armed with the skills required for successful relationships outside the family unit – that is: with peers and friends.

Learning the value of responsibility is a key ingredient to fostering successful relationships. Nowhere is this more evident than in the family. People do not have a choice when it comes to being part of a family – initially at least. Once part of a family, it is the role of each individual to establish their responsibility within the family. Having a unique role to play helps individuals to feel a stronger sense of place, and increased importance. While this can sometimes be a burden and carry certain challenges, being relied upon by others helps individuals become stronger. In the Black Balloon, Thomas has a significant role to play within the family – in fact, so do all the Mollisons. He, mostly out of obligation, takes on the responsibility of his older, disabled brother Charlie. While this is difficult for him – particularly at his insecure, adolescent age, the responsibility helps him strengthen as an individual. This is evident when he helps Charlie through his monkey dance by dancing along side him. As a loving and compassionate member of the family, he is able to put aside his embarrassment and become the responsible brother figure. The level of responsibly placed on Thomas would only ever occur within a family environment. Thus, family relationships are certainly more important than those with friends, as they rely on a sense of place and responsibility to function healthily.

Family relationships provide safe and trusting learning environments that friendships often don’t. Teenagers make mistakes – often. While people are young, their friendships change regularly. People try each other out, and sometimes find they are not compatible. Families, however, are not so fluid and dynamic. It is this stable nature of families that makes them places of tolerance and love. Family members make mistakes and while fights and conflicts occur, almost always, people come out on top. The expression: blood is thicker than water highlights the strength of family relationships. This element of relationships makes them more important to the development of individuals than friends or peers. In the Black Balloon, Thomas is caught up in his teenage life of selfish behaviour and feeling hard done by and misunderstood. While it is perhaps reasonable for him to resent his awkward and embarrassing family, he is lucky in many ways. Maggie and Simon expect a lot from him, and sometimes he lets them down – choosing to hide Charlie is his bedroom is a prime example. While Thomas acts this way out of selfish teenage impulsiveness, his loving family forgive him each time he makes a bad decision. Maggie knows her son has it tough, and she shows this when she finds Thomas crying in the bathroom. It is the strength of their family love, which helps them to accept and forgive no matter what happens. In friendships, this unconditional and unimpaired understanding for others is not as evident as it is within families. Thus, family relationships are far more important than those built between friends and peers.

The reason people are able go out in the world and form meaningful relationships with friends and peers, is because of the skills they learn within their family lives. Trust, generosity and love are all notions that are taught to children as they grow up – when families are at their most influential. Without solid family ties, people would not have the skills to function in other relationships. It is Thomas’ family life that teaches him how to be a good friend to Jackie. In fact, it is Thomas’ unique family experience, which draws Maggie to him in the first place. Struck by the initial meeting of the two boys as they run hastily into her house, Jackie is intrigued. She is attracted to Thomas because he has something in his family life that she does not. Thomas learns to give and he learns to be tolerant – particularly of his brother Charlie. While he is presented as a selfish character at first, we later see what Jackie sees – a mature and loving brother who appreciates and respects his family, despite their quirks. This is most obvious during the thunderstorm when he tries to explain his brother’s disability to her. The compassion and tolerance Maggie and Simon have taught their son, makes him a better person. They arm him with the skills to function in healthy romantic and peer-based relationships. Families are important as they provide the basis for all other relationships.

Families are fundamental to the growth and development of individuals. The family unit provides a stable and safe environment for children to grow up and make mistakes risk free. Families teach reliance and responsibility – fundamental aspects to help people feel a sense of place and importance. Finally, families give people the tools to function in their relationships outside the family. They teach trust, communication, compassion, resilience and tolerance. Without these essential skills, relationships with others can never be successful and meaningful.