ABSTRACT
Unlike the more hopeful messages portrayed in the next chapter, the presentations in this chapter reveal different patterns of turmoil, lost courses in life, and general despair. While there are mixtures of gain and hope in the remarks, Chapter 3 is dedicated to stories emphasizing these unpleasant qualities. The despair, feelings of confusion, and anger registered by the commentators in this chapter rival the types of loss perceived by persons in Wallerstein and colleagues’ (2000b) work. Many respondents also noted the behavioral patterns of chaos and craziness that flowed in their lives, in part because of their parents’ decision to divorce. These stories also relate closely to those in Chapter 5 on becoming “parentless,” as many of these students strongly felt the absence of a parent in their lives.
