The Survival of Familial Love inThe Liars’ Club

The Survival of Familial Love inThe Liars’ Club

The memoir “The Liars’ Club”   focuses on Mary Karr’s turbulent childhood in a dysfunctional household. Mary Karr is the narrator and author of the book. In the memoir, Karr is a scrappy kid who has tremendous sensitivity and devotion to her family. Her mother suffered from mental instability and alcoholism, which contributed to her parents’ quarrels.In the memoir “The Liars’ Club,”passion, understanding and devotion inspire the survival of familial love in Karr’s family by enabling them to overcome the chaos and turbulence in their life.

The familial survives because of a child’s passion and outlook in life in considerations of her family. The memoir, although written by an adult, focuses on the way a child would think about parents fighting. Karr writes,“A dysfunctional family is any family that has more than one person in it” (4). Karr and her sister Lecia never gave up but continued to fight for their family despite their family giving upon them.When Karr’s mother was taken away by the police, Karr did not want to remember it when she grew up because “It would be unbearable” (9).  Karr tried to remember her parents positively, which kept the love for them alive. Karr tells the story from a child’s point of view and excitement for her parents, which allows her to still maintain the love for her family.

Further on, Karr grew up in a very dysfunctional household, and she learns to love and care for her parents without judging them harshly. There are significant differences between Karr’s parents. Karr writes, “With mother, I always felt on the edge of something new, something never seen before” (54). Karr holds the barbaric temperament of her father and the intelligence of her mother. Further, Karr notes that “With dad, I knew what would happen, which left me feeling a sort of dreamy safety”(54). Her father was a down-to-earth man while her mother was glamorous and artistic.However, her mother had a mental illness.Therefore, Karr and her sister did not blame her parents for constant quarrels. Karr understands, loves and cares for her family despite the traumatic events in her family..

Moreover,  Karr shows that devotion to her family creates a sense of strength and loyalty, which cultivates their love for each other. The family shows the survival of love within a family, even in the most troubling time. For instance, after Karr and her sister’s separation from their father, they later return home to him (Karr 312). When they are together, the father cries tears of joy and prays that their mother will come back too, and she eventually did. The family experiences the weakest and strongest moments together, and even after experiencing traumatic events, they still manage to love each other.

In conclusion,in Karr’s memoir “The Liars’ Club,” passion,understanding and devotion towards family members drive the survival of familial love by overcoming the chaotic and traumatic experiences their lives.Despite experiencing traumatic events, the family remains devoted to one another. As a child, Karr loves her family and does not pass judgment on her parents’ quarrelsome relationship. Thus, Karr’s memoir shows the ultimate survival of family love in the worst of circumstances.

Work Cited

Karr, Mary. The Liars’ Club: A Memoir. Penguin Classics, 2015.