Comparing Short Story 'Faqs And No Bikini'

The way one nurtures a child can either help or hinder their development. In the short story “FAQs” by Allegra Goodman published in 2017, Melanie and Dan’s daughter Phoebe has just come home from homesteading, and they are navigating the difficult territory of how to reconnect with and support their daughter. “No Bikini” by Ivan Coyote follows the story of a young child and their journey through swimming lessons and hiding their true self from their mother. Comparing these two coming-of-age stories in terms of parenting styles, parents’ relationship with the children, and the child’s responses to the parenting suggests that Melanie and Dan from the story “FAQs” by Allegra Goodman help their child’s developing confidence while the mother from

Melanie and Dan sacrificed their comfort for the comfort of their daughter. For example, “Phoebe’s parents had planted vegetables with her when she was little” (Goodman 1), this shows how they were not interested in planting and watering a garden, but their daughter was keen on having one, so they caved into her wishes. This suggests that Melanie and Dan put their daughter’s wants above their own and that they try their best to be supportive parents. Melanie tends to worry about her daughter, “Melanie was always looking for a diagnosis; Dan had to find someone to blame” (Goodman 2). Melanie could be categorized as a helicopter parent while Dan is more

How many people you have lied to? Have you been parading about all summer half-naked?’” (Coyote 3). Coyote writes the mother as, “Her eyes were narrow and hard, and kept trying to catch mine in the rearview mirror” (3). This reiterates how the mother treats her child as less than herself and does not take the time to understand her child’s emotions. This proves that while Melanie and Dan’s relationship with Phoebe is not perfect, at least they try their best to build their daughter’s confidence, unlike the mother from ‘No