ABSTRACT
This piquant passage is from Anils Ghost by Michael Ondaatje. The story is set in war-ravaged Sri Lanka, a near armageddon of ethnic cleansing, brutal subjugation, and political intrigue. The pas sage conveys two basic beliefs about parenting. First, there is something elemental about parental caregiving, with near universal agreement as to its significance in childrens lives. Second, the context in which parenting occurs shapes both its goals and its tactics. As a result, what children experience as part of their home life is enormously varied despite the fact that all children share many common needs for parental care.
