Essay 2 partial draft

Krista Carter

Professor Kerr

EN101-5

October 5, 2010

Essay 2

            A father is the most important man in a girl’s life (Meeker). He should not only be a person a girl can turn to for support and stability in life, but also someone to have fun with (Appleton). In the last forty five years, the United States of America has become one of the world leaders in fatherless families (Venish). There are several reasons why fathers aren’t always actively involved in their daughter’s lives including: death, divorce, incarceration, or a lack of interest. No matter the reason, the lack of a father will change a girl. Girls who grew up without a father in their life will differ in their relationships, their educational and professional success, and their levels of self-esteem when compared to girls who grew up with a father in their life.

            A father’s interactions with his daughter set her up for how she will relate to other men (Meeker). They will also allow a girl to develop expectations from men in future relationships (Kelly). Girls who grow up without their father playing an active role in their life are unfortunately deprived of this experience. Without an active father, the ability of a girl to have healthy relationships with other men completely flounders or falls apart (Meeker). This inability is likely to cause relationship problems for the remainder of the girl’s life. There is a high proportion of girls who grew up in situations with negative father-daughter relationships who become involved in bad relationships with other males (Cucchiara). This is likely because the girl experienced a bad father-daughter relationship with negative behavior while she was growing up, so therefore, she accepts it (Cucchiara). Whether girls experience a bad father-daughter relationship or just do not have a father that they know, girls without a father involved in their life are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers compared to girls who grow up with their fathers involved in their life (Dad’s World). From a girl’s prospective, teenage marriage is more than likely an attempt at filling a gap in their life where they actually need a father. On the other hand, girls with active dads are less likely to be involved in abusive relationships in the future (Mack). Overall, they also tend to be more successful in relationships than girls who grow up without an active father (Venish). Dr. Meg Meeker, author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, says, “If [a girl] learns to like her dad, and she can trust him, she’ll have a much easier time trusting her husband” (Meeker). Trust is the key factor that causes a change in the ability of a girl with a father to have a successful relationship and the inability of a girl without a father to have a successful relationship.

            The success rates, especially educational success, of girls who grow up without fathers differ from success rates of girls who grow up with fathers. When a girl’s father does not have an active role in her life, her sense of what she is able to accomplish in life is decreased (Meeker). Fathers should be a reliable source of support in life. According to a survey on child health, the National Center for Health Statistics, in Washington D.C., found that “Fatherless children are at a dramatically greater risk of poor educational performance” (Venish). Unfortunately, the issue of being fatherless or growing up without an active father not only influences a girl’s life at home, but it also influences her educational success. Only 35% of children in homes that lack a father reported to getting mostly A’s through high school compared to 50% of children in homes with fathers who reported getting mostly A’s through high school (Dad’s World). This proves that fathers who are involved on a personal level with their daughter’s schooling increase the likelihood of their daughter’s achievement and success (Dad’s World). It’s obvious that girls with active fathers are more successful in school. Girls with active dads also attend college after high school more often than fatherless girls (Gurian). In addition to a college education, girls with active dads are more likely to attain careers of their own (Gurian). Not only do girls with active fathers have a better educational success rate than girls who grow up without fathers, but they also tend to be more successful in having their own career because a father’s support encourages a career success in young women (Father Involvement).

            Self-esteem is the result of how people perceive themselves (Franklin). According to Dr. Meg Meeker, “The number one influence on a girl’s self-esteem is affection from her dad” (Meeker). Girls that lack the support or attention of a father have a low level of self-esteem that sinks lower and lower with every negative encounter (Meeker). Low self-esteem tends to lead to seeking attention from other males to try to fill a hole in life. On the other hand, daughters who feel close and connected to their fathers have fewer instances of low self-esteem (Fathers and Daughters). As a result of higher levels of self-esteem, girls with active fathers are less likely to flaunt themselves to get attention from other men (Fathers and Daughters). Since they feel close to their father, they don’t feel the need for a greater amount of attention from other males.