Quick, think of the happiest TV family ever. The Brady Bunch? The Huxtables? Some Disney Channel people? Okay, now think of the exact opposite, and it will probably look something like the Lamberts in Story of a Girl. Deanna's mom may find time to sling some instant oatmeal every once in a while, but she's not waiting with homemade cookies after school, and her dad's definitely not helping with any homework. This is a family so exhausted by the crappy retail and mechanic jobs they have to take just to get by that there's very little time for anything other than work and the occasional knock-down, drag-out argument.
Questions About Family
- Why does Deanna's mom try to cover up the family's problems with food and empty platitudes? Doesn't she realize she's just making things worse?
- Is the girl in Deanna's story the girl she used to be before things went wrong with her dad?
- Why doesn't Darren want to move out with Deanna, where he can keep an eye on her and protect her from their dad?
- Why does Deanna's dad say everyone is against him when the family gets in fights?
Chew on This
Deanna wants to start her life over with a new family: Darren, Stacy, and April. Because they're all so unhappy with their current living situation, there's no way that moving out together wouldn't be an improvement.
Deanna's mom is what Deanna is afraid of becoming.