For one more day by Mitch Albom - Research Paper Example

Charley’s mother Posey had died some years ago though he wished to spend additional time with his mother. According to the book, the love between a child and his mother is strong because it can save a child. The major theme of the story is family because it reflects occurrences in many families today as evident in themes, viewpoints, and characters. Character The main characters of the book are Charley’s family members. Charley is the storyteller and the major character of the story. The story reveals pertinent concerns focusing on the relationships between children and their parents in the current society (Albon 2).

Most male children like to be associated with their fathers though they have difficult relationships with them. Charley always sided with his father. He always wanted his father’s approval though he was always hard on him. He made Charley believe that he was never good enough. This made him try hard with the intent of affirming his worth. This happened in his childhood and adulthood when he was at the Old Timers baseball team. Charley’s father in the novel represents the fathers who live their dreams through their children.

It is true that parents like to achieve their targets through their children by forcing them to do what they do not like. Charlie’s father wanted him to realize his vision of playing baseball. He bullied his son though he was growing up. This is shown when the father ordered him to leave his mother’s birthday party for a baseball game. He told Charley that he should choose either his mother or him. The father told him that he could not choose both. Charley discovered later that his father was a hypocrite who led a double life.

This is because his father has a second alcohol store, a second wife, and another child (Albom 17). Charley’s relationship with his mother in the novel shows that mothers support their children though they tend to make serious mistakes. His mother always made him realize that he should return to his life. Charlie discovered that his mother was considerate compared to his father. This was evident when Charlie told his mother that he made a wrong mistake when they visited the Italian wife. He told his mother that he loved and admired her.

Charlie thought that he should have chosen his mother over his father. However, his mother opposed by indicating that it was not his culpable because he never had a chance to choose. She knew that his son was confused throughout his life because he failed to acknowledge whether to support his mother or to please his father. She also knew that his son was pressured by his father to choose him as his role model (Albom 43). Charlie’s relationship with his daughter was also poor because he felt guilty for neglecting his mother making him an alcoholic.

His wife left him because of this habit. This shows that a child’s life is immensely affected by his parents’ behaviors. Charlie had problems with his wife and daughter because of the effects of his relationship with his parents. He never saw his daughter after his wife left him. His daughter got married but he was not invited to the wedding. This made Charlie to feel so lonely that he wanted to kill himself. During their meeting, Charlie’s mother helped him realize that he should reclaim his relationship with his daughter (O’Hara 1).

Setting The novel is set in a fictitious village where Charlie had created good and bad