These two stories illustrated the need for attention among children. They also illustrated how the failed relationships are not necessarily the responsibility of the children but rather the adult's ability to be held responsible for the bad relationship.
Beth, the girl, in the story “Man in the Casket”, feels that her relationship with her Grandfather was less than ideal. She attended the funeral for her Grandfather she reflected on her Grandfather treatment of her. She thought she Grandfather treated her badly and she became upset.. The Grandfather's relationship with Beth deals with bickering however not understanding. Even though Beth is portrayed as bratty and self centered the blame cannot be entirely placed on her because they both did not work on the problems with the relationship. She was very conceited and opinionated about others' actions towards her. Eventually the time came for her to go up to the casket and she did. At this moment she felt that this was stupid and irrelevant to her life. Then, she saw her dead grandfather she realized that she never made an effort to lessen the conflict and took all the fault for it. She then realized that they both did not work on the relationship a now wanted to change it. Beth realized that it was long too far to change the relationship with her grandfather being dead. Then she cried and now remembered what she had done and what she did not let her grandfather or herself does. She then realized the ideal grandfather for her was now dead and she was the bad grandchild. During the time she and her grandfather spent together she felt he was merely an inconvenience. She always felt that she did not need change and that everyone should like and respects her. She realized though, at the end that she should have tried harder to make things work but now it was too late. She realized this and cried.
In the story “Mother in Manville” Jerry, an orphan meets a woman and he accepts her as a friend. Jerry also accepts her as a mother even though the relationship is not mutual. When she came to the mountains and tried to get some work done she did not want nor except to see him wanting to have a mother or child relationship. Jerry was bright, cheerful, but alone, and his need for companionship ceased when he met this woman. Jerry greatly respected her to make her think highly of him even thought she felt unusual and slightly worried that he was so physically small. Eventually the came to a point where they thought of each other as friends. However the boy made it clear that he had a mother in Manville. She realized that the Jerry became attached to her so when she left she did not even tell him to try to not make a big deal out of it. She inquired about his mother but the orphanage administrator told her that the boy had no mother. This story was about the struggle for the boy to attain respect and friendship from the woman. She felt the same ways however did not carry it near to the extent of the boy. Jerry wanted a parental figure and unlike “Man in the Casket”, he wanted whatever amount of emotion he could get from an adult companion. The woman did not expect this relationship to evolve out of this business trip though.
In both stories there is an illustration of a struggle for respect and friendship from elders. In the “Man in the Casket” the girl was trying to cope with her Grandfather because would not respect her, however this was a mutual feeling. The grandfather felt that the girl treated him poorly and the girl felt that everyone else had normal grandfather except her. This is comparable to the way the boy feels in “Mother in Manville." He works very hard and does everything he can to please the woman. Even thought he gets nowhere he is always polite and acts courteous to gain her as an adult parental figure. However she does not care for a son because of her business. It is obvious that these stories both have struggles for respect from children to adults.
In both of these stories evidently the children try to gain respect and attain a relationship with the adult. However the adult figure then leaves the picture, leaving only the children. Then despite the need for attention among the children, the failed relationship is the responsibility of the children and the adults involved.
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