Subject of Family in Lessing’s Flight, Hughes’ Mother to...

Subject of Family in Lessing’s Flight, Hughes’ Mother to Son, Kincaids Girl and Adrienne Richs Poem, Merced Family as defined by Webster’s College Dictionary can be one of many different people. Family can be your parents, spouse, children, brother, sister, grandmother, uncle, any blood relative, or even people who are not blood related that share that common bond (Webster 475). My definition of family is similar to Webster’s, but I feel that there is more to it than just being a blood relative or close friend. A person’s actions, beliefs, and morals play a major role in deciding who makes it into that â€Å"family† group. Family becomes more of an idea or feeling, like love or hate, than just who a person is or where they fall in†¦show more content†¦There are four different relationships portrayed in this writing. There is the granddaughter and grandfather, father and daughter, mother and daughter, and a new bond between the granddaughter, Lucy, and her beau, Steve. Although there is definite conflict between the grandfather and both his grandda ughter and his daughter, you can still see the elements of â€Å"family† portrayed in their actions and beliefs. The granddaughter is ready to break free from her current main family and start a new family of her own. This causes her grandfather to resent her, possibly due to the â€Å"empty nest† feeling since she is the last one to leave the house and be married. This can be seen when he says to his daughter, â€Å"’She’s the last. Can’t we keep her a bit longer?’† (Lessing 20). This shows the strong love necessary to have that true family in a household. The mother knows that another step in her job is done and that it is time to let go. The daughter is showing her defiance and desire to be a grown woman, to take that next step in her life. Although she is bitter with her grandfather in the beginning of the story, she shows her true love for her grandfather when the story portrays her crying as the grandfather finally lets go, perhaps not wanting to be let go – the releasing of his birds is a metaphor for the releasing of his granddaughter to the world (Lessing 20-21). Steven shows his wanting of acceptance by Lucy’s