I believe the greatest conflict in this novel is Jules major drug addiction and how it affects his 12 year old daughter Baby. Jules seemed to have done everything he could to get clean and inevitably be a better father. However he unfortunately acted even worse once he stopped using heroine. He started having major mood swings and screaming at Baby for very unrealistic reasons. Sometimes he'd even yell at her for things she hadn't done, or things that hadn't happened at all. Jules became emotionally and physically abusive towards Baby. He would throw things at her, hit her, yell at her, and call her cruel names. Jules treated Baby like she was a bad person and a whore. A 12 year old girl (or anyone) shouldn't be abused in any way. The behavioural changes in Jules strongly affected Baby's behaviour. She turned to crime and drugs and men. Baby was desperate for excitement so she started stealing and vandalizing. She used drugs because they made her feel better and she enjoyed them. Her close friend provided her with joints that she would smoke periodically. She also took an interest in older men. There was a pimp named Alphonso who took an interest in her and it made her feel really good about herself. Baby was so desperate for love that she started accepting it from anyone who would care for her. Children who grow up in homes with parents who abuse drugs usually don't live safe reliable lives. They are used to coming second to the addiction. This messes with the child's psychological mindset. They never feel like they can depend on their parent and are constantly disappointed. The child will learn that drugs are a crutch during hard times and there's a greater chance that the children will end up abusing drugs in the future. A lot of children also end up blaming themselves for the family's issues. Which causes them to be much less happy as well. Unfortunately a lot of children who grow up in homes with addictions don't get properly cared for. They may not be treated with the same amount of love and care that they deserve. I believe that Baby would have a much better and brighter future if she didn't live with her father anymore. I believe that she needs a parental figure who can act as a true role model for Baby and she also needs new friends who can set her on a right path. Baby is still very young so therefore she is very impressionable. She needs someone who will teach her and guide her in the right direction in her life. I hope that later on in the novel Baby meets someone who makes her feel good about herself. I also hope this person guides her in a caring and safe direction. She doesn't need more abuse and crime in her life.
Secondary sources- "How Children Are Affected by Drug Addicted Parents." How Children Are Affected by Drug Addicted Parents. N.p., 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
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