Cider House Rules Isu Essay Research Paper

Cider House Rules Isu Essay, Research Paper

Contemporary society advocates that without love, happiness is impossible. Webester’s

Dictionary defines happiness as, “ a state of well being or contentment.” Three types of

love which are necessary for contentment are; familial love, romantic love and friendship.

In John Irving’s, The Cider House Rules, Melony’s bitterness prevents her from

developing these forms of love vital for true happiness. Her hostility towards others

prevents her from developing familial love. Intense animosity and contempt ruin Melony’s

romantic relationships. Her bitterness leads to social isolation and the development of true

friendships become impossible.

An individual’s relationship with his/her family influences his/her development into

a functioning member of society. The fulfillment of the need for love and belonging begins

with a close family relationship. Melony’s malice and resentment towards others inhibits

her from experiencing this familial love. Throughout her life, Melony lives in many

different foster homes, yet a strong family bond is never formed. Her first experience in a

family environment is at the St.Clouds Orphanage. Several members of the orphanage’s

staff fail to establish a family bond with Melony. Mrs.Grogan is the head of the girls

division of St.Clouds as well as Melony’s primary care giver. Mrs.Grogan, “ was especially

fond of Melony but felt she failed at making Melony like her,“ (John Irving, P.89).

Mrs.Grogan continually expresses love and affection towards her, but is unable to initiate a

loving response. Melony’s constant attitude and bitterness towards others and prevent her

from developing a sense of familial love and consequently reaching true happiness. This

mannerism impedes on Melony’s development of future relationships in similar

environments as well. As an orphan, she is adopted several times by different foster

parents, but fails at being assimilated into the new families. Like Mrs.Grogan many of the

foster parents extend affectionate and loving gestures towards Melony but are denied an

appropriate response. Melony,

“had several unfortunate experiences in foster homes . . . Melony had run away

from the second and third foster families, alleging that the men in the families,

either fathers or brothers, had taken a sexual interest in her . . . In case

number six: the husband had died of a heart attack shortly after Melony’s arrival,

and the wife had sent the girl back to St.Clouds,” (John Irving, P.89-90).

Melony responds to the foster families efforts with viscous abuse. The attitude and hatred

she continually exhibits prevents her from experiencing familial love with the foster

families but ruins the family relationships she is introduced into as well. Melony’s

bitterness and consequent lack of familial love will hinder her development of future

relationships, ultimately ruin her chances of true happiness.

The relationships within a person’s family influence the romantic experiences

throughout his/her lifetime. Romance further satisfies an individual’s need for love and

belonging. Melony’s ongoing bitterness towards others ruins her romantic relationships.

She experiences few romantic encounters throughout her lifetime, achieving a substandard

level of satisfaction. Melony’s first significant romantic relationship is with Homer Wells,

and orphan at St.Clouds. Rather than base their romantic connection on love and mutual

respect, instead sex, physical appearances and a childhood promise become the basis for

their union. Homer’s guardian,

“knew, he had to get his apprentice away from Melony. The two of them together:

How they depressed Larch! They struck the doctor as a tired and loveless married

couple. What sexual tension Melony had managed to conduct between them in the

earlier years of their angry courtship seemed absent now. If they still practice a

sexual exchange, they practiced infrequently and without enthusiasm. . . It

appeared to Doctor Larch that some wordless, joyless bond existed between

them,” (John Irving. P.121).

Melony’s relentless anguish extinguishes the physical passion between Homer and herself.

Subsequently, the very basis of the couples romance loses it’s novelty and the union solely

relies on the childhood pact made between Homer and Melony. Her bitterness and

treatment of Homer leads to their inevitable departure. Their break up increases Melony’s

bitterness, and future distances her from the goal of true happiness. Her second significant

romantic experience is heavily influenced by Melony’s failure with Homer Wells.

Melony’s vengeful quest to seek out her former lover leads her to a city where she meets

her second romantic interest, Lorna. Unlike her relationship with Homer, Lorna and

Melony base their romance on mutual friendship.

Melony,

“got out of bed and went into Lorna’s room to talk, but Lorna was so

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