Alcoholism, a disorder or pathological condition of both behavior and physiology, not only affects the alcoholic, but the family as well. Alcoholism affects the spouse and, especially, the children, who are perhaps the victims who suffer the most from alcoholism. These issues are dealt with in Crime and Punishment in the character of Marmaledov and his family.
If the drinking problem escalates gradually, the spouse is less likely to object as quickly or firmly, and slowly the drinking comes to play a more important role in the relationship. Tension increases, and sometimes the non-alcoholic spouse seeks a separate social life. Despite the tension, the nonalcoholic partner may join the drinker in minimizing the severity of the problem. He or she may even make excuses for the drinker. Many of these marriages end in divorce, but others who do withstand the tension overcome the active drinking and begin a journey of recovery during which the marriage is rebuilt and strengthened.
It may be that the victims of alcoholism who suffer most are the children in the alcoholic home. At least the adult alcoholic has had a lifetime of experience to assist in coping with stresses. Children of alcoholics are more defenseless. They are caught in a situation with unusual intensity. the fighting between the parents in an alcoholic home requires that the children take sides. Frequently, children become go-betweens and sometimes they begins to think that maybe they themselves are to blame for the problem. they question their own self-worth and become distrustful of adults. They turn to their siblings for support. The child is exposed to inconsistent behavior and deprived of support and love. child abuse and neglect are common in those families headed by an alcoholic parent.
In Crime and Punishment, Marmaledov is an alcoholic father who blames himself for his daughter's choice of prostitution. Yet he begs her for money, knowing how she gets it though prostituting. He uses it for alcoholic beverages at the tavern. He is also married to Katerina Ivanovna, who once cared very deeply for him but now his alcoholism has placed a gap in their relationship. Although Katerina may not love her husband as she did before, she stands by him even when he comes home drunk. Sonya, their daughter, became a prostitute to help with her family's economic situation. Although Sonya lives in a separate home, she is still very close to Polenka and her other younger siblings. As I stated above when I said that "siblings look upon each other for support", Sonya and her siblings are a perfect example. We see in the scene where Polenka runs off to see Sony because of their father's death. There is fighting between the parents in the home, but it's not so much that the children blame themselves, as that the blame ought to be put on the father himself. The children are exposed to inconsistent behavior and deprived of support and love.
In conclusion, we see there is a significant impact because of alcoholism on the family. Alcoholism affects the spouse and children, as shown by Marmaledov and his family in Crime and Punishment.
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