Sexism
...or opens up her heart then mom will destroy it. She thinks if she tells her a disturbing fact about one of her friends she will not allow her to have that person as a friend anymore. My mom does not really know what to say to all of this, so she just sits back and speaks of nothing. Natalie has many girlfriends and always has a party planned for the weekend. If she was silent to all the people at school I do not think she would have so many social events to be a part of. Both Andre and Natalie are nervous to tell their mothers what experiences they go through on a daily basis. They fear they will be a disappointment to them later on in life. They do not want their mothers to be ashamed of what friends they have or feelings they develop. Andre shares no thoughts or feelings about what is going on in his so-called “forbidden life” with his mother. Cal bluntly shouts to Andre’s mother, “Our lives aren’t furtive, just our feelings toward people like you are!” (50). Cal is explaining to Andre’s mother that it is not as though they are trying to make their lives somewhat secretive, just to her they are. Andre does not want to have communication skills with his mother because he is afraid she will not have anything to say. Andre hates to be around his family and this is shown because he moves away. He never calls his mother to see how she is doing or to let her know what his life is like in that moment of time. Natalie deliberately shuns my mother out of her life. As soon as Natalie gets home from anywhere she bolts to her room and slams the door behind her. My mom will knock lightly on the door and simply ask, “Is everything alright?” Get out will be screamed at the top of her lungs, and then the loud radio will be played. Neither child in either situation feels there is a need to have a relationship with their caring parent. Parents will show their son or daughter unconditional love no matter what goes on in his or her life. They will be your best friend all the time regardless of a child’s appearance, attitude, or how much money they have. Communication is a vital necessity to have if you want to survive in this world. Without communication people will eventually isolate themselves. Natalie is eventually going to isolate herself from all the people that truly love and care about her. It’s easier just to be silent she thinks, but I want to tell her not in the real world honey. Maybe in some other situations things are better left unsaid, but not with your parents. All her silence does is make my mother angrier, hurt, and sad all at the same time. My mother is confused and blames herself for Natalie’s poor actions. In the long run silence is damaging and isolating. As I sit back and watch Natalie’s boring and pointless conversation with my mother, one person asks questions and the other gives no answer. “Are you hungry?” my mother will ask trying to get some sort of response from Natalie. Silence is the continued answer she gets. Being quiet did not get Andre very far in life. Cal spoke, “God, how many of us live in the city because we don’t want to hurt our mothers and live in mortal terror of their disapproval,” (48). Andre isolated himself by moving away and never talking to her again. He ended up...