Having siblings can impact the direction of your life and the decisions that you make in many ways. We can start by discussing how parental preference of one sibling over another can shape our actions. In the Ted Talk Jeffrey Kluger states, “A study I cite in this TIME magazine covering in the book "The Sibling Effect," found 70 percent of fathers and 65 percent of mothers exhibit a preference for at least one child” (Kluger). Though it can be difficult for parents to control these feelings of favourtism, they’ve been known to cause some harm to children (most often mentally). Those who are not favoured tend to feel left out often, and this can create tension between siblings. This dynamic is demonstrated in the first act of Shakespeare’s King Lear, when Edmund tries to frame his brother. Edmund declares, “It is a letter from my brother that I have not all o’er-read; and for so much as I have perused, I find it not fit for your o’erlooking” (Shakespeare 1.2.36-39). Edmund had felt left out for his entire life, he was constantly being compared to his brother Edgar and was made to feel as though he would never be as good as him. These built-up feelings pushed Edmund to do something drastic; he framed his brother and made it seem as though Edgar was plotting against their father. On the other hand, it’s also valuable to realize the importance that siblings have in our lives. In his speech Kluger states, “There may be no relationship that affects us more profoundly, that's closer, finer, harder, sweeter, happier, sadder, more filled with joy or fraught with woe than the relationship we have with our brothers and sisters” (Kluger). He’s explaining how strong the sibling bond often is, and how important it can be. In the first act of King Lear, the importance of siblings is often demonstrated by the actions of Goneril and Regan. They often consult each other before taking actions, and they make many decisions together as well. Goneril says, “Pray you let’s hit together. If our father carry authority with such disposition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us” (Shakespeare 1.1.304-306). At this point in the story, both Goneril and Regan had received their piece of land, but they knew that their father was acting strange and might make bad decisions in the near future. Therefore, they planned to stick together to ensure that he didn’t do anything that would not work out in their favour. The way that they trusted each other instantly with the discussion of their feelings on this topic shows how strong their bond must be and how important they are to each other. In addition to all of this, I have three siblings of my own and I would agree with the point that they are some of the most important people in my life. Many people in your life will come and go but your siblings will hopefully be connections that you can maintain for a lifetime. Overall, although siblings often argue with each other and don’t always have perfect relationships, they are so important and those who are lucky enough to have them will often keep their connection with them for life.
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December 2022
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