Of Extinct Authoritative Parent Connection In Jesse Thistle's From The Ashes

The Father-Son Connection in From The Ashes: Exploring the Damaging Effects of Extinct Authoritative Parent Connection to Their children.

Like father, like son, one demonstrates, while the other follows. Jesse Thistle's book "From the Ashes" explores the effects that Jesse's absence of a reliable parent has had, and is still having on Jesse. Thistle's father's absence has impacted him and how this has contributed to his struggles without an authoritative parent showing him the right way through life.

Specifically this will shed light on the difficult circumstances Jesse faced growing up without a reliable father figure. Thistle's father was often absent, leaving his young children in the care of his oldest son, Josh. Despite being only

"Dad picked up the hornet, put it near the spoon, and it sucked the medicine into his belly" (Thistle, 22) illustrates the resourcefulness and ingenuity that Thistle's father exhibited in times of need. However, it also highlights his father's addiction and the dangerous risks he took to satisfy his cravings. Thistle's father's addiction and inability to provide for his family left his children to fend for themselves, often resorting to stealing food and other necessities to survive. This is exemplified in the quote "Josh pulled me close, yanked open my drawers, and stuffed in a few bags of chips, a handful of pepperettes, and a loaf of bread. I was shocked." (Thistle 25) Thistle's dependence on his older brother, Josh, to provide for him and his brother is indicative of the lack of parental guidance and structure in their lives. Furthermore, Thistle's father's absence is further exemplified in the quote "Josh did all the talking, telling everyone that our dad was away and we'd be going home as soon as the police found him." (Thistle, 36) Thistle's father's lack of presence in his children's lives left them to deal with the consequences of his actions on their own, often leaving them to navigate difficult situations without any guidance or

Thistle exemplifies the terrible cycle of addiction he slipped into by saying, "Every six hours, I dosed another E and puffed another joint hoping Leeroy would show up," (Thistle, 148). He was looking for comfort in drugs while searching for a way out of his predicament. Similarly, in the line, "I was selling acid by the sheet and sniffing speed in the washroom before class every day," (Thistle, 127) Thistle emphasizes his use of drugs as a coping technique more than ever. Thistle turned to drugs to escape the anguish of his reality since he lacked safe surroundings and an authoritative parental figure. Thistle's experience with homelessness is also evident in his work, as seen by his statement: "We'd been homeless for just over 4 months and were barely hanging on." (Thistle,164). This illustrates the uncertainty and desperation that are associated with being homeless as well as the obstacles of attempting to survive without a reliable residence or supporting structure. Homelessness just makes Thistle's other problems, like drug addiction, worse. "So there I was, once again, heckling the screws and counting the days and cinder blocks. Those cinder blocks seemed to follow me wherever I went," The repetitive pattern of his encounters is portrayed by Thistle. With no hope of escaping the habits that shaped his existence, he is