Navigating Parenthood: Contrasting Perspectives on Love and Care in The Puppy by George Saunders

Abstract

The Puppy by George Saunders Family "Puppy" is an exciting story that details the life experiences of two young and energetic families viewing parenthood from differing perspectives. One can argue that Saunders's story explores the theme of proper parenting by exposing the readers to the consciousness of two young mothers on opposing ends of what defines true love and care towards their children and family in general. However, based on the story, it is clear that Saunders brings light to the target audiences on the youthful nature of children and how much children are like puppies, thus requiring guidance and understanding (140-150). Marie, a classy woman with a financially stable husband, believes that fulfilling children's desires define parental love. Marie remains content with the family's desire paying particular attention to Josh to ensure that the boy gets better life than what Marie's parents offered during her abusive childhood. Marie enjoys a loving family dynamic of spending most of her time together playing games and having fun. On the other hand, Callie represents a woman whose life revolves around financial difficulties but aims to ensure a healthy family life. Prioritizing Jo as the most loved boy in the family, Callie chose to protect him from harm by locking him on a tree to ensure he remained safe at home while the mother was not around to watch over him. Callie sees no wrong in teaching her children natural selection and pleasing her husband regardless of the imperfections in their relationship. Based on Callie, money does not define love and care toward others. On the contrary, the passion for accepting others the way they are and bettering them is the key to expressing love and concern for those people who claim to love in life. However, both have children with behavioral disorders, and each tries to express love towards their children without expressing criticism of such conditions. Unfortunately, Marie uses Callie's life dynamics to show her children how she treats them well, citing the harsh treatment other children receive "Life will not necessarily always be like this. Your life could suddenly blossom into something wonderful. It can happen, it happened to me" (Saunders, 177). Gender Gender plays a significant role in defining human roles within society. The masculinity of the male gender as the head and provider of the family remains well reflected in Saunders's story. Marie is a woman who enjoys classy life attributed of her husband's deep pockets. Marie wishes to give her family a better life than her parents gave her, as she could not even enjoy education, having remained defined as a person with no college qualities. In such an instance, one can feel the inferiority of the female gender, citing them as persons entitled to nurturing their family through the provision of their male counterparts. On the other hand, Callie expresses all her might to remain submissive to her husband and kids. In expressing the submissiveness of the female gender to her husband, Callie gets some money to pay for the puppy that she disposes to the cornfield to make the husband happy by making him assume that Marie bought the puppy. However, looking at Marie’s husband, one can confirm that his deep pockets defined men's potential in fulfilling their wives' demands. The husband expresses this through the provision of all Marie’s demands without complaint. However, with gratitude and happiness, as expressed through Marie's statement, "you could bring home a hippo you would put on a credit card, and he would just say "Ho HO!" and ask what the creature ate and what hours it slept and what the heck they were going to name the little bugger" (Saunders, 187). It is such financial capabilities that Robert became convenient for Marie when it came to pleasing her kids. Sex/Sexuality Like in gender, Saunders's arguments on sex and sexuality attitudes revolve around two families within the story. Both Marie and Callie are females who understand their place in their families. Raising boys proves a challenge to these women who aim to give their children the best, ending up spoiling them in the name of love. However, as women, they wish to give their children and husbands the best, having identified the inferiorities associated with the female gender letting masculinity take over the dominance in most ruling-related areas. Whether with finances or not, the women feel obliged to people close to them and wish to express their love as a way of giving back to society and nature. Though the author talks of Marie and Callie as the most influential characters within the story, sexuality expresses males as respectable figures deserving of care and...