Susan Pfeffer’s story, “Ashes” takes place in Ashleigh’s or “ashes’s” life. Ashleigh’s parents had split up do to her fathers irresponsible decisions and lies. Ashleigh lives with her mom most of the time but since her dad has come to visit her, it makes her cherish the good things he has to say about her. During the time they spend together Ashleigh’s dad takes advantage of their connection and asks her to “borrow” some money from her mom. Ashleigh doesn’t realize what he is doing because all she sees is his grins and his compliments. One lesson that connects to the story is that love can make you blind to the bad happening around you.
It all starts when pfeffer uses a hint in her writing to show that ashleigh’s father is using compliments
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She wonders why she wouldn’t help. “Well, why not. I was his daughter, after all.” Pfeffer adds this to show that Ashleigh was blind to the fact that he is getting her to steal money, because he is her father. Ashleigh’s dad has a way of making his bad ideas seem okay because he uses a kind tone and small lies. He claimed he was “borrowing” the money to pay for what he owed and he promised to have it back before Ashleigh’s mother noticed. Ashleigh decides to go along with what he said because she doesn’t want to disappoint him. Consequently, not seeing the bad.
Ashleigh goes to the diner with her father and he makes her feel she needs to help. “‘Can I help?’ I asked. Dad smiled like I’d offered him the key to the mint. ‘I love you so much,’ he said. ‘You’re ten thousand times better than I deserve, Ashes.’ ‘Have a fry,’ I said, pushing my plate toward him. Dad took one. He seemed to have more of an appetite then I did.” Ashleigh’s father is showering her with compliments so she feels the need to be involved in what he’s doing. The reason he still has an appetite because he did not feel he was doing the wrong