Assignment 9: Synthesis Essay

The short story called, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", by Neil Millar, has a more respectful approach of parents to their children opposed to the short story, "Be-ers and Doers", by Budge Wilson. Neil Millar's story, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks about himself, a parent, who has uncovered an important matter, through a simple question, in which he believes can, "alter the life of your children for the better and the life of their future partner". Millar asks the anticipated question, "what kind of children do you want to raise?" causing the reader to stop and ponder of what their true expectations for their children are. The narrator, Neil Millar, begins his inspiring essay by setting the scene of, "a loving parent striving to give your children the best life you can offer", by relating to most parents with children. The narrator's goal is to help parents, "raise well-rounded, confident, considerate children that show gratitude and appreciation for all that is given to them", through his essay. Millar also brings up the issue of how negative behaviour in a household can reflect into a child's life by asking the reader a simple question of, "will the current behaviour in your household make that happen?" Lastly, the narrator points out that throughout generations, expectations and values change for both parents and their children, and asks, "But are your mother's old values working for you and, just importantly, are they working for your children?" Millar ends his essay by encouraging parents to start, "directing your children to take on small tasks" and overtime, "increase the tasks", to help their children become responsible and appreciative.

The parenting in the story, "Be-ers and Doers", by Budge Wilson, is the type of parenting the author of, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks against. This is because the author of the story,"The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", encourages parents to focus on helping their children become, "well-rounded, confident, considerate children", opposed to the mother in, "Be-ers and Doers", who only cares about her children becoming doers like her and not be-ers like her husband. The narrator of, "Be-ers and Doers", observes her family from when she was young until she, herself, is a mother. The story is set on a small farm on the South Shore of Nova Scotia where the narrator is the oldest sibling of a younger sister and brother. The mother in the story, "was a little narrow wisp of a women", who, "was fond of pointing out to them the things the father didn't do". She had extremely high expectations for her children to become doers, like herself, especially the youngest son, Albert. Throughout Wilson's story, Albert grew up hearing the nagging mother preach that, "bein' ain't good enough. You gotta do, too. Me, I'm a doer", in which is a perfect example of what the narrator of, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks against by asking, "will the current behaviour in your house hold encourage your children to become well-rounded". In a matter of time, Albert's character begins to emerge as he grows, revealing he is a be-er and not a doer, and the, "nagging begins to accelerate in earnest". Instead of pursuing her son's character to become "well rounded", as the narrator states in Neil Millar's story, she decides that, "If it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna light a fire under his feet". Near the end of the story, Albert surprises his mother by saving the family and house from a fire, resulting in the fact that the mother becomes proud that Albert finally became a do-er like herself. Albert confesses that, "Yer jest proud o' what you want me t'be".

In conclusion, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", by Neil Millar, renders to have a much more respectful approach of parents to their children rather than Budge Wislon's story, "Be-ers and Doers", due to the fact that the parenting skills in Millar's story "drives right to the heart f the matter" to alter the life of their children by staying true to discipline and noticing your children's values instead of making your children's values for them, such as the mother tried to do to her son, Albert, in Wilson's story. In Wilson's story, "Be-ers and Doers", the mother, who was self-absorbed, decided that her son was going to be a smart, busy, doer, like herself, when in actuality she almost ruined him be setting impossible standards and making him work too hard. The parenting skills in Millar's essay, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", approaches parents in an inspiring way to help grow respectful children.