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Burden Of A Happy Childhood Analysis

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The essay “Burden of a happy childhood” published in The New York Times explores the potential downfall that appears in a happy, joy-filled childhood. Studies have shown that factors such as childhood happiness play an important role for the future of the individual. Chronic health problems, especially mental illness, self-reported health, and happiness are flawed indicators of overall well being ( Eckersley, 2010). The author explains how the presence of a happy childhood sometimes leads to a disappointing and depressing adulthood.The focus of the article is the author’s assertion that joyful adolescent years only provide a cavity of disappointment as adults seek to find a lifestyle similar to when they were younger. Despite the advantages …show more content…

Throughout the article, the author only belittles her childhood house. There is never any indication that the house made a positive impact on her elementary-aged years. There are many references regarding how the house had a negative influence, but there is never anything that refers to the house as being one of the main factors of her happiness in adolescence. When explaining how terribly miserable growing up in the house was, she stops herself. Although the house now has different occupants and the author now believes that the house only impacted her childhood in a negative way, there is a still a little part of her that feels remorse about bashing the house where she grew up. Although she despises the house and everything in it, there is still a part of her that feels guilty when campaigning against the …show more content…

The author is incapable of calling her present house with her husband and children a home because of the great impact that the old house had on her during her adolescent years. Cantwell struggles with defining the difference between a house and a home. The author believes that her adolescent house is her home because of the many memories that it contains with both present and late family members. Cantwell believes that home is where a mom bakes apple pies, kids pet the dog, and grandfathers smoke a pipe. Home is where relatives read the Providence Evening Bulletin and crochet elaborate bedspreads. The conflict resides while comparing the two. Cantwell’s adult years will never live up to the years that she had as a child, and she will spend the rest of her life striving for life to be satisfying as it was when she was a

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