MORAL VALUES(STEP BY WICKED STEP) Family is everything This is the main message in all the five stories from

Claudia, Ralph, Colin, Pixie and Robbo. Love is the factor that binds the family together but sometimes the family unit breaks down due to a lack of understanding between parents. Most of the time, children are not prepared for such a situation and this lands them in an awkward and painful situation. It is important to minimize the impact of divorce on children and to make sure they do not feel unwanted or unimportant. Parents must always try to keep the family together despite the breakdown in their relationship. We must learn to adapt to new situations Children from broken homes have no choice but to learn to adapt to new situations. This may be unfair to the children who seem to be the victim of circumstances beyond their control. However, in the five stories told, we learn that adapting is better than resisting although it takes a lot of patience and effort on the childrens part. Claudia show s she is a rational and sensible child to accept her step mother. Ralph, who has three step mothers, gets along with all of them despite their different personalities.

patience towards her step siblings. She refuses to share her bedroom with Hetty. She is also hard headed and argues intensely with her step mother.

Dont give up hope Colins story is the saddest of all. He does not give up hope of one day finding Jack whom he accepts as his own father. He saves all his money and plans to look for his dad when the time is right. Colin is a very determined person despite his young age. He knows what he wants. Robbo also hopes his sister Callie will accept their step father Roy. However, Callie resents Roy and decides to live with her real father in the end.

Patience is a virtue It is important to practice a lot of patience in difficult times. No parents would want a divorce if they can help it. Hence, everyone affected by a divorce must be patient and tolerant. Richard Clayton Harwick does not show enough patience when he leaves his family because he cannot get along with his step father. As a result of his action, his mother dies of heartbreak and his sister blames him for being selfish and cruel. In Pixies story, she does not show much

THEMES (STEP BY WICKED STEP) 1 The importance of preserving the family unit This is the central message in the novel. The family institution is a solemn entity. It is created when two adults decide to tie the knot through their marriage vows. Hence, parents are mainly responsible in keeping the family unit intact through love and understanding because divorce and separation can only lead to ugly consequences as clearly shown in the novel. The family institution should also provide security to children. However, when it is broken, children feel helpless and they feel they are victims of the situation. The novel reveals how the five children cope with difficult times when their parents marriage fails. Claudia and Pixie for example, have to undergo emotionally painful and tumultuous moments to get used to their parents divorce. The ugly effects of divorce and separations are also shown in the way Claudia and Pixie resist their step parents and siblings. The quarrels, the screaming, the sibling rivalry demonstrate that the harmony that is central in their families has long gone. Children suffer most from broken homes and they need a lot of time to adapt to their new situation. This is true in the case of Pixie, who needs a great deal of time to adjust to her step mother and step sisters, Sophie and Hetty. The family institution must be preserved at all cost to avoid unnecessary sufferings on the part of the children. Parents must protect their children from the effects of divorce as much as possible. If a divorce is unavoidable, parents need to ensure that every care is taken to make life as normal as possible for their children.

2 Acceptance and tolerance Learning to accept and tolerate new members in the family is important when a divorce happens. The novel shows how children learn to accept their new family members and make the best of their new circumstances. Although this sounds a big task for them, they all end up accepting their new life at the end of their stories. Despite their being young, they realize how important it is to learn to share belongings and love with their step siblings. For example, Pixie has to learn to share her bedroom with her step sister Hetty. She has to tolerate her privacy being taken away causing her to devise ways to get rid of Hetty from her bedroom. She considers her bedroom is her territory and Hettys presence an intrusion. However, she manages to get her room back after a heated argument with her step mother. In the end Pixie learns to tolerate her step sisters and accepts their differences. Acceptance and tolerance can also be seen in Claudias story. She learns to accept the presence of her step mother when her fathers marriage to her real mother fails. The green pyjamas her step mother gave her and the dinner hosted by her step mother one night play a role in bringing them closer. Despite her earlier resentment towards her step mother, Claudia makes a big decision that it is not fair for her to hate her step mother. In doing so she also shows her maturity despite her young age. In Pixies story, she is shown to accept the fact that her new stepmother is having as much trouble "adjusting" as she is. It is amazing how these young characters show a lot of strength despite the distinct problems they face in their families. They learn to accept things around them gradually because they do not have a choice. Furthermore that life has to go on.

3 Children have opinions too This theme is portrayed through the five main characters in the novel. Since all the main characters come from broken homes, we learn that they too want their opinions to be heard and acknowledged. Very often than not, there is a communication breakdown between the children and parents who undergo divorce. For example, Colin does not have a say at all when her mother decides to move to another place to stay safe from his father. Colin has to start all over in a new school and make new friends. His opinion is never sought. In another example, Pixie shows that she wants to be heard. Her strong opinions about the adults around her are revealed when she quarrels with Lucy, her step mother. She expresses her frustrations and anger through her words. The writer provides the opportunity for the children to voice out their opinions frankly and honestly through the stories they tell. Through each of the main characters, we realize that children too have opinions and that their opinions must also be sought. Pixie would like to have a say about her room arrangement and Colin, although quiet, often wonders why his mother makes decisions independently. Through the main characters words and actions, we can also see a certain level of maturity in the childrens thinking. They are not without opinions. But how many parents actually sought for their opinions. Divorce is always an adults story and too often children are just trapped in between. The novel in a way is a tribute to the childrens spirit. They make us see the depth of their feelings and opinions through their unique stories. Too often childrens feelings are unnoticed, ignored and or not taken seriously resulting in failure in building relationships in broken homes.

Write about the theme of family love which is portrayed through the characters in the novel that you have studied.

Based on this novel, I have chosen to write on Richard Clayton Harwicks family members who have portrayed the theme of family love amazingly and dramatically through sense of love, devotion and loyalty. Richards mother, Lilith was the first to portray the sense of love in the family. She took all the trouble to search for Richard after he ran away from home. Richard was frustrated as his mother married Reverend Coldstone after his father's death. Lilith suffered Coldstones anger as when she spent a fortune seeking for Richard, their money lessened. Out of love for her beloved son, Richard, Lilith willingly sacrifices her wealth. She never stopped searching for him until her death. She died of broken heart because of her undying love for her beloved son, Richard. Charlotte showed her love too through her devotion. She kept searching for her beloved brother, Richard, after her mothers death. However she faced trouble as she had no money of her own. Because of her strong family love, she married a rich man she did not love as he promised to help her find Richard. She was willing to sacrifice due to her immense devotion to her brother. She managed to reveal her selfless characteristic through her quest for her brother. Richard also showed that he had strong love for his family through his sense of loyalty. Richard become tensed when his mother marries Reverend Coldstone, who is cruel towards him. He decides to run away from going to Mondegar School. Although he ran away, he still came by the house twice to catch a glimpse of his mother and sister due to his love that still lives in him, This novel managed to prove that strong family relationship sustains family bond and heals all the hurting moments through sense of love, devotion and loyalty. The power of family love leads to reunion and healing in a family. Therefore, we should appreciate and love our family unconditionally and be prepared to make sacrifices as when there is strong sense of love, there is forgiveness , patience, loyalty and devotion growing without force under the shade of genuine family love.