Free Essays on CHILDREN AND DIVORCE

Divorce has become the alternative to an unhappy marriage for so many Americans in today’s society. Many times the life in the family has become so unbearable that divorce seems to be the only answer. However, married couples are often not the only ones who feel the effects of a parental separation. Some forty percent of all children will experience a parental separation or divorce before reaching adulthood (Amato 1269). Children of divorce experience the consequences of divorce and develop different coping strategies, which has brought up studies and other tools useful in helping deal with society’s divorce-stricken youth. Every year, over one million children are involved in new divorce cases (Walter, et al. 79). It is estimated today that nearly half of all first-time marriages will fizzle out. In the mid nineteen hundreds, only about five percent of all marriages ended in divorce (Amato 1269). Divorce in the family marks the beginning of an uncertain future for children (Walter, et al. 74). In the nineteen-eighties, the effects of divorce on children declined from the earlier decades. Researchers say that this is most likely due to the fact that divorce has become, in so many ways, much more socially acceptable. Research would also comment that parents seem to be working harder to lessen the impact of the divorce on their offspring (Amato 1278). However, the divorce experience effects even the healthiest children in some way (Berger 115). In many cases, the direct behavior of the parents towards their children has a greater impact on behavior than the divorce itself. The attitudes of the parents can play a crucial factor. Studies show that many â€Å"divorced parents invest less time, are less supportive, have fewer rules, give harsher discipline, provide less supervision, and engage in more conflict with their children†(Amato 1279). The quality of parental functions is a key factor in predicting the well-... Free Essays on CHILDREN AND DIVORCE Free Essays on CHILDREN AND DIVORCE Divorce has become the alternative to an unhappy marriage for so many Americans in today’s society. Many times the life in the family has become so unbearable that divorce seems to be the only answer. However, married couples are often not the only ones who feel the effects of a parental separation. Some forty percent of all children will experience a parental separation or divorce before reaching adulthood (Amato 1269). Children of divorce experience the consequences of divorce and develop different coping strategies, which has brought up studies and other tools useful in helping deal with society’s divorce-stricken youth. Every year, over one million children are involved in new divorce cases (Walter, et al. 79). It is estimated today that nearly half of all first-time marriages will fizzle out. In the mid nineteen hundreds, only about five percent of all marriages ended in divorce (Amato 1269). Divorce in the family marks the beginning of an uncertain future for children (Walter, et al. 74). In the nineteen-eighties, the effects of divorce on children declined from the earlier decades. Researchers say that this is most likely due to the fact that divorce has become, in so many ways, much more socially acceptable. Research would also comment that parents seem to be working harder to lessen the impact of the divorce on their offspring (Amato 1278). However, the divorce experience effects even the healthiest children in some way (Berger 115). In many cases, the direct behavior of the parents towards their children has a greater impact on behavior than the divorce itself. The attitudes of the parents can play a crucial factor. Studies show that many â€Å"divorced parents invest less time, are less supportive, have fewer rules, give harsher discipline, provide less supervision, and engage in more conflict with their children†(Amato 1279). The quality of parental functions is a key factor in predicting the well-...

A Biography of American Painter Andrew Wyeth

A Biography of American Painter Andrew Wyeth Born on July 12, 1917, in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Andrew Wyeth was the youngest of five children born to illustrator N. C. Wyeth and his wife. Andrew came equipped with a bad hip and frequent bouts with illnesses, and parents decided that he was too fragile to attend school, so instead hired tutors. (Yes. Andrew Wyeth was  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹homeschooled.) While aspects of his  childhood were rather solitary, for the most part, life in the Wyeth home was filled with art, music, literature, storytelling, a never-ending succession of props and costumes that N. C. used to compose his paintings and, of course, the large Wyeth family. His Start in Art Andrew began drawing a very early age. N. C. (who taught many students, including daughters Henriette and Carolyn) wisely did not attempt to instruct Andy until hed reached the age of 15 and had some inkling of his own style. For two years, the younger Wyeth received rigorous academic training in draftsmanship and painting technique from his father. Turned loose from the studio Wyeth also turned his back on oils as a painting medium, choosing less-forgiving watercolors instead. Those familiar with later works are often surprised at his early wet brush numbers: quickly executed, broad strokes and full of color. N. C. was so enthusiastic about these early works that he showed them to Robert Macbeth, a New York City art dealer. No less enthusiastic, Macbeth staged a solo exhibition for Andrew. Most enthusiastic of all were the crowds who flocked to look and buy. The entire show sold within two days and, at the age of 20, Andrew Wyeth was a rising star in the art world. Turning Point Throughout his 20s Wyeth began painting more slowly, with greater attention to detail and composition, and less emphasis on color. He had learned to paint with egg tempera, and alternated between it and the dry brush watercolor method. His art underwent a dramatic shift after October 1945 when N. C. was struck and killed at a railway crossing. One of his two pillars in life (the other being wife Betsy) was goneand it showed in his paintings. Landscapes became more barren, their palettes muted, and the occasional figures that appeared seemed enigmatic, poignant and sentimental (an art-critical word the artist came to loathe). Wyeth later said that his fathers death made him, meaning that grief caused him to focus intensely, and forced him to paint with deep emotion going forward from the mid-1940s. Mature Work Though Wyeth did a lot of portraitures, he is best known for interiors, still lifes and landscapes in which figures are largely absent - Christinas World is the most notable exception. As the years passed his palette lightened up somewhat and late works contain hints of vibrant color. Certain art professionals decry Andrew Wyeths work as mediocre at best, even as a growing segment champions it. The Peoples Painters output is beloved by an overwhelming majority of art fans, though, and please know this as well: there are no artists who wouldnt have jumped at the chance to observe his working technique. Wyeth died on January 16, 2009, in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. According to a spokesperson, Mr. Wyeth died in his sleep, at his home, after an unspecified brief illness. Important Works Winter 1946, 1946Christinas World, 1948Groundhog Day, 1959Master Bedroom, 1965Magas Daughter, 1966Helga series, 1971-85Snow Hill, 1989 Quotes From Andrew Wyeth I prefer winter and fall when you feel the bone structure of the landscapethe loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesnt show. If you display yourself completely, all your inner soul disappears. You have to keep something to your imagination, to yourself. I get letters from people about my work. The thing that pleases me most is that my work touches their feelings. In fact, they dont talk about the paintings. They end up telling me the story of their life or how their father died.