Right now I'm reading We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates, and it has made me realize the ridiculousness of the notion of the perfect American family. I'm absolutely confident this idea doesn't exist and never has, and the endless pursuit to replicate the idyllic myth, in my opinion, does more harm to families than good. Without exception, every family has its problems (yes, even the hardworking, successful, loving, let's-sit-down-to-dinner-and-discuss-our-feelings families), and the attempt to cover these up in the name of reputation forces families to ignore their imperfections and problems. Society's emphasis on success and the "American dream" (even more mythical than the "American family") forces us to lie ourselves into a false sense of happiness in order to satisfy our culture's definition of perfection. Welp, I hope the books ends happily (whatever that may mean for those crazy Mulvaneys).
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