The Life That Once Was
Alyssa Huntt
ENGL 1101
Valerie Wayson
December 9, 2011
The Life That Once Was Sixty years ago, the United States was bursting at the seams that post-World War Two fears had sewn into place. The economy was booming, automobile production was taking off, families were close-knit, and values were important. There was a certain mystery and adventure about what life had in store. Now, the United States is on the verge of a breakdown. The economy is teetering on the edge of failure, more families are broken than ever before, and the values and principles that the country was founded on have been thrown out the window. Many argue that today’s American life is better than that of sixty years ago due to technological and medicinal advancements, but the facts of rising divorce rates, stressful fast-paced lives, and the state of the economy beg to differ. In 1950s America, divorce wasn’t a common occurrence. Most children grew up in homes with both a mother and a father, a home life vital for the well-being and proper development of children. This low rate of divorce remained unchanging during the 1950s and 1960s and radically rose during the late 1960s and 1970s to the rate it is today (Amato). In 2009, between 43% and 50% of first marriages end in divorce, and half of America’s children will experience their parents’ divorce (Lansford 140). It is well known that divorce has quite a negative effect on children, and with half of America’s children coming from divorced families, America is becoming a broken nation. In some cases, even divorce is better for children than living in the conflicted home of arguing parents. According to Lansford, “children whose parents divorce may have better long-term adjustment than do children whose parents remain in high-conflict marriages if divorce enables children to escape from exposure to conflict and feelings of being caught between their parents” (Lansford 145). Escape from the verbal, emotional, and physical
ENGL 1101
Valerie Wayson
December 9, 2011
The Life That Once Was Sixty years ago, the United States was bursting at the seams that post-World War Two fears had sewn into place. The economy was booming, automobile production was taking off, families were close-knit, and values were important. There was a certain mystery and adventure about what life had in store. Now, the United States is on the verge of a breakdown. The economy is teetering on the edge of failure, more families are broken than ever before, and the values and principles that the country was founded on have been thrown out the window. Many argue that today’s American life is better than that of sixty years ago due to technological and medicinal advancements, but the facts of rising divorce rates, stressful fast-paced lives, and the state of the economy beg to differ. In 1950s America, divorce wasn’t a common occurrence. Most children grew up in homes with both a mother and a father, a home life vital for the well-being and proper development of children. This low rate of divorce remained unchanging during the 1950s and 1960s and radically rose during the late 1960s and 1970s to the rate it is today (Amato). In 2009, between 43% and 50% of first marriages end in divorce, and half of America’s children will experience their parents’ divorce (Lansford 140). It is well known that divorce has quite a negative effect on children, and with half of America’s children coming from divorced families, America is becoming a broken nation. In some cases, even divorce is better for children than living in the conflicted home of arguing parents. According to Lansford, “children whose parents divorce may have better long-term adjustment than do children whose parents remain in high-conflict marriages if divorce enables children to escape from exposure to conflict and feelings of being caught between their parents” (Lansford 145). Escape from the verbal, emotional, and physical
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