Relationships are strange, especially as highlighted in the novel Picturing Will. Every single relationship is different from others and within them, there are different responsibilities each individual has to undertake. The gender roles that some relationships have are considered normalized and others are deemed to be out of the ordinary. There are some very stark differences between Jody and Mel’s relationship in comparison to Wayne’s and Corky’s relationship. The main difference between the two identified relationships is based on the ideal traditionalized perspective.
The difference between Mel and Wayne poses the critical reason as to why different relationships hold the diverse dynamics that they do. Wayne had a specific character that could not allow him to act in a specific expected manner as a parent and a spouse. His weakness is manifested through various actions. He often focuses on having affairs with other women rather than pleasing his wife or being excited about seeing his son happy and healthy (Beattie 38). This nature of the relationship allows Wayne to focus on external influences instead of manifesting his efforts to improve family welfare and create happiness within themselves. Mel is exhibiting opposite of Wayne; Mel is more of a father to Will than his biological father. He has administrative work in New York and is more successful compared to Wayne who is a landscaper and part-time delivery man. The illustration reflects the kind of relationship in our modern society in which most people have varied focus thus delimiting their success.
Jody and Mel have a greater relationship that can be emulated in society. Following Jody’s appalling situation of abandonment by former husband, Wayne with an infant son, Mel steps in with a helpful approach of developing a closer connection with Jody’s son. He wants to marry Jody and live with her without focusing on her earlier relationship. This creates a new life for Jody and her son, forgetting about the former relationship with Wayne which was full of hatred and mistrust.
The relationship built by Mel and Jody is based on the perfect considerations of the best couple ideas. Jody’s son, Will, is taken care of by Mel as Jody begins a busy career in New York. Mel accepted Jody and decided to care for her despite her having a son outside wedlock. In the case of Wayne and Corky, their relationship desires are contrary to each other. While Wayne is more focused on working to earn a living, Corky wanted a child and Wayne was eventually planning to divorce her.
In both relationships, the similarities are based on career focus, Jody and Wayne are interested in setting a career. Their interest is to advance and improve their social status while maintaining a positive relationship with their families. However, Jody got enough support from her husband Mel, while Wayne was did not get any support from Corky who was more focused on having a child.
Corky, just like Mel, is devoted to Wayne and wants nothing more than being a mother. Having sacrificed career opportunities to take care of Wayne, who instead should be taking care of himself, Corky’s relationship with Wayne seems to be ending the same way as Jody with Wayne’s. It is obvious that Wayne is selfish and focuses on maintaining a positive attitude to the outsiders yet failing to keep a good relationship with his spouse.
Mel has greater inner understanding and goals, while Wayne is waiting for life to take its course and hating it in the process. This is the major reason Wayne tends to have h toxic masculinity while Mel is more composed and gentle, he does not mind assuming the parental role for Will. However, Jody is more engrossed in her career and seems neglectful to both Will and Mel himself thus creating a gap of parental relationship between her and Will. This is driven by the career that she built with Mel’s help. That is the irony here. Mel helped Jody launch her career and then distanced from her childhood which helped her maneuver during a difficult time in life. When Wayne left her, Jody described Will as the only thing that kept her moving. However, once she advanced in her career, she forgot about how much Will needed her.
Until the end of the novel, we apprehend that Mel had wholly taken over the role of naturing Jody, and we also realize Jody’s withdrawal from Mel. This portrays a real character of Jody as a person who was once deceived by Wayne, ran away from her family to satisfy personal needs. Corky is Wayne’s third wife, and much like Mel, she is resolute to see brilliance in every circumstance. She is just and has a good heart, she is also determined to have a baby with Wayne, but he refuses, that why she is convivial about the idea of Will visiting his father. Corky is genuinely affectionate and caring towards Will, notwithstanding her gain.
The traditional male-female relationship would be more of Corky and Wayne. Wayne seems to be the income producer of the family and makes critical decisions while Corky sits and tries her best to sire a child for Wayne. Corky is determined to be a mother while Wayne is against the idea. This is exactly the traditional societal norm in which a woman wants the child more than a man. Mel and Jody portray a different perspective of life by challenging the traditional gender roles. Mel pushes Jody to advance in her career by creating an opportunity for her to look for networking and assisting her to greater opportunities in life. This sparks the idea of providing an opportunity for every party in a relationship despite the traditional aspects attracted to the marriages.
Mel helps Jody to network, and he does this happily without being coerced. Jody becomes more engrossed in her photography work thus leaving Mel to take the parental role with nothing but only love and open arms. Mel teaches Will how to be a man without considering the masculine responsibility attached to a man, especially those engrossed within the traditional beliefs. As a result, Will goes on and teaches this to his children, thereby leading to an endless cycle of selfishness and bad parenting from his biological parents Wayne and Jody. Will adapts a positive behavior from Mel thus delimiting societal perception on parents’ responsibility on improving children’s welfare through social learning and behavioral changes.
Mel’s behavior and warm heart was the fundamental reason both Will and Jody ended unsuccessfully. Despite Jody’s behavior of distancing herself from the family, Will grew up mannered and loving because of Mel. The novel carries strong themes of a broken family which got restored through a strange relationship thus ending up the diverse achievement of individual goals based on their characters. It also highlights a better contrast between the societal gender role and norms and the outcomes of each decision.
The toxic masculinity which was manifested by Wayne and the unmasculine personality of Mel has illustrated the nature of our society in assuming various responsibilities without considering the social and traditional perceptions on the individual goals. Mel’s personality created a stronger bond and beautiful life between him and Will. When it comes to personality, blood is not always thicker than water. This is elaborated by Mel personality and attitude towards Jody and Will.
Work Cited
Beattie, A. Picturing Will. Vintage. 2011, pp. 1-98.