Family

Reversal of roles in the family

Submitted by: Devoy Douglas

Name of Teacher: Mrs. Hall Tracery

School:Dinthill Technical High School

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 Tablet of Content

Introduction…………………………………………… 1

Preface ……………………………………………2

Reflective Piece ………………………………………3-6

Language Analysis……………………………………7-8

Refernces………………………………………………………………….9

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 Introduction

Over the years, the roles of the families has been reversed across the world, Jamaica is no
different.. Originally, fathers were considered as the ones responsible for protecting and
providing for their families, while mothers stayed home and deal with domestic matters and the
children. take care of the household duties and children if present. However, researchers claimed
that the females are now becoming independent and over time are very integral in the labour
market (Bernhardt, 1993; Jokinen & Kuronen, 2011; OECD, 2011). With that development it is
evident that the roles have been reversed as women are now working toward balancing the
family life especially, if she is a single mother. In addition, not only has the roles reversed with
the parents, the children are also forced to do the tasks that are classified to be that of the parents.
(Kerig, 2003).

My career path lies directly in the field of medicine where I will have to interact with people in
such situations on a regular basis. Irrefutably, this will help me to be more sympathetic to those
who are in this or similar situations by utilizing various methods accordingly.

Essentially, this topic will help to develop my knowledge as well as increasing awareness of the
various impacts that this reversal of roles has on each family member. In addition, it will also
help me to integrate various methods that are associated with this topic as well as extending
myself to present on the topic as the need arise.

Undoubtedly, the issue at hand has garnered my attention as I am faced with the same situation
that is slowly breaking my family apart..

Therefore, the intended use for this portfolio is for those who are involved in a family, so that
things are not taken for granted as there is no knowledge at hand as to which family will be
affected by this change..

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 Preface

My inspiration for this story comes from families within my community. As a child, I witnessed
many circumstances where children were abused by frustrated mothers due to the pressure of
playing the roles of both mother and father.

My intended audience is the parents and children of this nation. My aim is to educate parents
about the weight that has been placed on a child when they are neglected or abused by them
whether directly or indirectly. Regrettably, the end result may detrimental that can involve,
suicidal, involvement in teenage delinquency such as gangs, teenage pregnancy, abortion, drugs
among others. Notwithstanding, this is just one problem that will eventually evolve and cause
further harm.

Additionally, the platform of the Jamaica Gleaner would be the perfect avenue to post this
article, since it is considered as one of the most frequently read family paper in Jamaica, whether
through purchasing or online. Nonetheless, I would ensure that the headline is in full caps as an
attention grabber.

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 Vicious Love

Her face was the cover of a dirty pillow case. The corner of her mouth glistened with sweat. Her
once soft, smooth skin had been transformed like that of a crocodile. Life had damaged her. Her
delicate sweet voice was all that remained, but that was soon to be changed as she sliced me with
some expletives.

“yuh betta mek sure di @^%$* !*&$# food cook before mi %&#@* cum baaak!”

I had never been afraid of her before, but now fear hugged me.

I wrapped my fingers around the money she had placed in my sweaty hands while my saliva
struggled down my dry throat. ‘One more room to clean,’ I whispered to myself. ‘One monster
down, one more to go,’ I continued..

An oppressive odour met me when I pushed the door open, one I had met many times in rain-
rotted gray houses where there was coal-oil lamps, water dippers and an unbleached sheet.
Afraid, expectant and watchful are just few words that crossed my mind whenever I entered this
room- my father’s room.

Undoubtedly, my eyes were fixed on my ultimate goal - sweeping and wiping. I picked up his
filthy clothes and the plate he had eaten from the day before. My body was tensed as I expected
a an angered response accompanied by a brutal blow for not coming earlier, but there was none.

I looked towards the bed. Something must have happened to him; he laid there on his back, with
the quilts up to his chin showing only his head and shoulders. I watched carefully as his head
moved slowly from side to side.

“Daddy, yuh aurite?” I asked again.

“Weh di baxide yuh wake mi fah!” he fired at me. I was wrong, he was perfectly fine. “A yu mi a

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chat to, look pan mi!” he demanded.

I rest my eyes on him. I couldn’t help but hate him. He did this to us. Mommy had to work
double shifts, I had to become the slave and all this time he did nothing! Words fired at him in
my head.

“BOOOOW!”

He slapped the frown off my innocent face. I guess he read my mind.

“Now pass mi kup a wata.”

I couldn’t compel my legs to move.

“Move outta mi yie site pickney an guh fah weh mi sen u fah,” he warned.

“Pinky guh fi some wata fi daddy nuh?” I begged my smaller sister who was watching television.

“ Psssh” she hissed her teeth. “Nuh you him ask fah,”, she replied. “Guh fi dat yuh self.’

Pinky was two years younger than I was. She was a pain to describe her perfectly. Staring at the
cup in my hand, a sinful thought crossed my mind. ‘Mi feel fi do something to di wata.’. A smile
curved my lips; the thought of him drinking my saliva was a good payback. I was certain, a sip
of his own poison would not kill him. I handed him the cup of poison and walked out feeling
accomplished. A calmness filled my soul.

In the years before I was abused, my sister and I were blessed with perfect parents. Our every
whim was filled with love and care. We were a family. A family that I never thought would
abuse their eldest daughter to get back at each other. Mother’s reason for abusing me was to
teach father a lesson. Every punch, bruise, punishment that she administered would tear dad
apart, or so she would imagine. Unlike mom, dad was more considerate. Abusing me was a sign
only to show his manliness. It was to prove to mom that he had not given up all his roles. He was
the man of the house and he was still in charge although unemployed.

I broke out in a cold sweat that seemed to seep through my bones. I had to finish dinner before

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mother returned. The frozen chicken laid in the sink, hard as stone. I had to find a solution to
melt it quickly. I filled the ‘dutch pot’ with pipe water and placed it on the stove. I put the raw,
unseasoned, frozen chicken inside the pot and turned the burner on.

I knew I was a dead girl walking when I lifted the cover off several minutes later. The chicken
had turned white.

I can fix this, I was sure; I convinced myself. A bottle of browning would work the magic. I left
the chicken to cool while I prepared the dumplings. I poured the last pound of flour in a
container, sprinkled some salt and began kneading the dough. Time was limited. What choice did
I have but to use the ‘dutch pot’ filled with the chicken filtrate to boil the dumplings. My meal
was completed in time. Like a family, the hypocrites took their places around the dinner table
while I, their maid served them. Saggy dumplings with the unseasoned chicken laid on the
plates.

“Yuh neva strain di shuga?”

Oops. I’m dead. How could I have forgotten? The glass of orange juice was filled with tiny black

ants. ‘A who left the d@mm suga open man,’ I cursed inside. The ants bobbed up and down in

the juice as they swam across for dear life to reach the corner of the cup. I ignored the question.

Mother took a bite of the dumpling with the chicken gravy and swallowed. As soon as the taste

connected the undigested food came gushing from her throat and out her mouth. The raw taste

had sickened her stomach.

“Cum ere to mi”, She ordered. I knew exactly what I was getting. She grabbed me in my hair and

pulled my face to hers. She then pushed my face on the table, my face and inch away from the

vomit. The scent diffused up my nostril.

‘di scene was drastic. I was dragged and was forced to eat it all. Her words echoed in my ears

“yuh ago nyam every drop of it. I was startled, I watched my father in expectancy, hoping he

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would come to my rescue but he didn’t care. I glanced at my sister as well, in anticipation that

she would beg for me, but I was wrong.”

“Naym it! r@ss naym it!” I picked the clumps of chewed dumplings up with my hand. Blobs of

thick saliva slipped through my fingers, as I dropped it in my mouth. I tried to swallow without

tasting it, until I felt her hand clamp the back of my neck. ‘Chaaw it! She barked. Naym all a it,’

she demanded, pointing at the saliva. I closed my eyes as I brought the bowl to my lips. I opened

my mouth and her saliva slid down my throat. I tried my best to prevent it from coming up my

throat. I failed, and I had to do it again. Her vomit was now my vomit.

How could I call these people family? I was right, I could not. These people were not my family.

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 Language Analysis

The story ‘Vicious Love’ depicted the life of a child and the consequences she had to face due to

her parent’s faulty actions. Essentially, communication is critical especially within the family

that is made up of parents and children. Therefore, the use of these two linguistic criterions

(Communicative behaviors and Dialectal Variation) is both used expertly by the writer to

demonstrate the harsh life that this child is currently living.

It was evident that the writer embraced the communicative behaviors throughout the story. Of

note, these include “Yuh betta mek sure di @^%$*!*&$# food cook before mi %&#@* cum

baaak!” and “ Move outta mi yie site pickney an guh fah weh mi sen u fah.” Both indicated that

the child was forced to obey each parent command without having an option. This forced the

child to react in a way that at times will be revengeful. In addition, the tone of their voices were

characterized by power and strength that expressed a “do as I say” ordeal, there was no option

for negotiation.. ‘Yuh ago nyam it! Every drop a it! Yuh hear mi!” the child’s eagerness to

complete dinner before her mother got home indicated how fearful she was. Undeniable, the

child knew knows that failure to complete her mother’s commands meant severe punishment,

and for that reason she hastily prepared the meal whether it was done in the correct way or not. ‘I

broke out in a cold sweat that seemed to seep through my bones’. Her sweating is evidence that

she was is worried about meeting her mother’s deadline and the consequences of not meeting

same.

The Jamaican Creole is used unceasingly throughout the entire story by the family. Each

character (Child, mother, father and Pinky) uses the basilect language, a low variety of language.

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“Nyam all a it,’ the use of Basilect language by this family indicates that they are from the lower

class of society, one which may be looked down on as uneducated or poor. The usage provided a

level of understanding as well as building the communication among the members of the family.

This showed that the children were able to follow through with what was being said. The author

on the other hand used the standard variety of language (Acrolect) to communicate with her

reader(s). With the writer’s influence, it was noted that the intention was clear as a the life of

painful and abusive child was brought to life in the minds of readers by the effective use of the

various linguistic criteria by the writer. The provided an avenue for the readers to follow and

with expectancy was anticipating what was next.

Essentially, in writing the author should cater for all needs of learners and that was achieved by

the integration of the language mechanism employed.

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 Reference

Bernhardt, E. (1993). Fertility and employment. European Sociological Review, 9(1),25-42.

Jokinen, K. & Kuronen, M. (Eds.). (2011). Chapter 1: Research on Families and Family Policies

in Europe: Major Trends. In U. Uhlendorff, M. Rupp & M. Euteneuer (Eds.), Wellbeing

of Families in Future Europe. Challenges for Research and Policy.

Kerig, P. K. (2003). Boundary dissolution. In J. Ponzetti, R. Hamon, Y. Kellar-Guenther, P. K.

Kerig, L. Scales, & J. White (Eds.), International encyclopedia of marital and family

relationships (pp. 164 – 170). New York: Macmillan.

OECD. (2011). Doing Better for Families. Paris: OECD Publishing=-09541WS