"Ashes"

Rebecca silver                                                                                                                                  808

            It’s not unusual for children to experience a divorce and act out as a result of their situation. “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeiffer shows the struggles of Ashleigh or Ashes and having to choose between her mother and father while her loyalty and morality is being tested. Through Ashes relationship with her parents, the author shows the reader how issues of a divorce can affect any person.  

            I believe Susan Beth Pfeiffer is showing us how certain relationships can influence us and our decisions for the better or the worse. “I look out the window and saw only ash gray sky. In the cold stillness of the night, I could hear my father’s car keening in the distance “you’re one in a million.” This shows her father’s effect on her and her choices, because he is a big part in her life she looks up to him, therefore making it easier for him to manipulate her. Even though Ashes feels suspicious she does it anyway, believing her dad when he says “you’re one in a million,” showing us that Ashes father is always the outgoing and “positive” person, creating harder for Ashes to deny him.

            Many parents want the best for their children, while trying to steer them in the right direction, however feeding them lies isn’t the way to do so. “Dad had promised me stars for a necklace, unfortunately like all his promises that one never happened,” this tells us that her father has lied before, while never actually doing anything about them, simply ignoring them. “He sat next to the door, my stomach hurt in an old familiar way” this shows the importance of lies, has a role in the story, through out the sequence of the book Ashes father had never been entirely truthful. The author shows us that even smaller, less harmful lies should always go into consideration, by comparing Ashes fathers lies, and how they affect her.

            Even though we may or may not know it, our parent’s choices can affect us in sometimes dramatic ways. Ashes parents’ choice to get a divorce shows us that many parents choices will also affect children, whether it’s as small as leaving for a while or as big as getting a divorce. Using Ashes situation, the author shows us the complex ways Ashes has been affected by her own parents decisions, while comparing that to real life situations, such as our own.

            Many parents are there for their children and would always steer them to the right path however, Ashes and her father are different. While her father doesn’t always tell the truth, steals and manipulates her, it shows that the decisions made by her parents as well as ours can have a dramatic influence on all of us. Ashes father may seem well; however he’s leading her down a dangerous path while she believes he’s doing it for the greater good. Susan Beth Pfeiffer shows us that parents and over all relationships can have certain effects on people.