Contemporary Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary Literature - Essay Example Thus, the decline of the family can be seen to have come from the financial redistribution of wealth. In an examination of the two novels, â€Å"Trainspotting† and â€Å"Brick Lane†, the results of these changes in culture can be observed and compared. In â€Å"Trainspotting†, the youth culture can be observed at its worst, filled with the consequences of drug use and defined by the lack of connectivity that the characters have experienced within their community. Without the imposition of responsibility within a community, the young will find ways to rebel and act out against the unknown future. In â€Å"Brick Lane†, the consequences of a future that is defined for a woman becomes the central discussion. In contrast to the indulgences of the freedoms of individualism, this novel emphasizes the obedience to family that creates a designed future. In looking at these two extremes, an understanding of the decline of the family can be framed within the context of the observations made by the authors of these novels. Cause of the Decline in the Family Since World War II, the definition of the family went through a rapid incline in exalting its nature through the 1950s with a slow deterioration since that time, lamenting the concepts that were developed in that period. During World War II, families went through a period of emotional trauma with the war both pulling them apart and forcing them to cling together in order to survive the threats that the nation faced. However, in the aftermath of war, the generations began to divide, the youth not connecting to the experiences of their elders. When examined from two different aspects of literary content, the concept of the family has been torn by a development of an elitist youth grouping that now continues to define popular culture as each generation rises to meet a consumerist power that has been put into their hands. During the 1950s, a divide was experienced between the youth of the generat ion and their elders, incited by the economic changes that took place during that time. A consumerist culture developed through a redistribution of income that favoured the youth with more disposable income. With the rise of individualized transportation, the independence of the young began to change and the reactions of those in their teens and twenties to those of an older age began to exhibit a less dependent nature.1 Industrialization allowed for the separation of generations as the young can leave the family to find work rather than continue within a familial community. Individualism created differences in parenting styles, leading to less connectivity to both the smaller community of the family and the greater community. As the individual began to become more important than the community, the way in which children have been reared has dramatically changed. With the changes that were initiated by the shifts in Western culture where work is concerned, an unknown future for each next generation was created. Rather than continuing forward the traditions of survival of their parents, children are now faced with the challenge of seeking out their own path, somewhat negating the experiences of their parents for the design of their life’s work in favour of a design they must create themselves.2 Where the meaning of life was far more simple in villages where the sons and