Essay Sample on Influence of Evolving Societies on Human Relationships

Introduction

Human relationships are what comes out of interactions between people. It could be directly or indirectly. They are what interpersonal relations are built on; depending on how intense engagements are, different relationship types come up. Relationships run around the happenings of people's lives. Thus there are family relationships, acquaintances, friendships, and romantic relationships. In the texts Cathedral by Raymond Carver and The horse dealer's daughter by David Herbert Lawrence, events around society play a critical role in shaping relationships. Therefore, a detailed discussion on how society's evolution affects friendship, family, romantic relationships, and acquaintances is based on the two texts.

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Friendship

In the text Cathedral, friendship is prominently featured. Friendship in the first place is stroked off by a working relationship between the narrator's wife and Robert. The narrator's wife had been to Seattle the previous summer working for Robert, who is blind, reading for him. They then became good friends (Carver 210). The narrator's wife sought work during summer in Seattle as she needed money before she could get married to her childhood sweetheart, who was training as an Air Force officer (Carver 210). Thus, the involvement in the officer's schooling by the narrator's childhood lover led to her working and, as a result developing a very healthy friendship with her employer Robert, with whom they frequently shared tapes. Hence society evolvement influencing human relationships.

Work and social activities led to the creation of fellowships. Robert had significant interactions, which lead to making friends in the process of work. Robert mentioned conversations they had with workmates when he was a ham radio operator, said he had friends in Guam, Alaska, and Tahiti had he wanted to visit the places (Carver 218). The narrator and Robert engaged in drinking, smoking, dining, watching, and storytelling through the night. As a result, they became free to each other to the extent of coming so close to drawing a cathedral, and at the same time, Robert rejuvenating the narrator's faith (Carver 227). Thus, work and social engagement work out as vital evolvements in society that affect human relationships.

Societal Evolvements

Societal evolvements also play a crucial role in family relationships. In the text, The Horse Dealer's Daughter, Pervin's children's pride is undermined when their father, Joseph, remarries (Lawrence 203). The action leads to lost security among his children, especially Mabel, who cast most of her hopes in her dad's wealth. After that, Joseph Pervin died, leaving behind huge debts, which led to the Oldmeadow house's trading, leaving his children with nowhere to go, thus fending for themselves. Joe tells Fred Henry, Mabel, and Malcolm they have until Wednesday to make up their minds on where they will be living or get lodgings at Kerbstone (Lawrence 201). The statement itself shows an already broken family unit due to desperation brought about by a lack of security. Hence a failed family relationship due to society evolvement.

The family relationship also comes out in the text The Cathedral. Robert had visited his deceased wife's relatives in Connecticut before his sleepover journey (Carver 209). As the narrator tells, he had called his inlaws, who are kin to his late wife, Beulah. Thus, Robert's wife's death prompted him to associate with Beulah's family forming the family relationship he could require after passing on. Robert would need a family for comfort. Hence social evolvement an essential factor in influencing relationships.

Society evolvement played a role in determining romantic relationships. In The Horse Dealer's Daughter, the predicaments that befall Mabel on her father's death lead to her romantic relationship. Mabel suffered badly the poverty that struck (Lawrence 203). Mabel felt deprived of her security by not having money. To her, the end had come as couldn't figure herself going for the cheap, which lead to her suicidal thought as she viewed death as a glorification (Lawrence 204). As a result, Mabel Pervin attempted suicide by putting herself in a pond, only for Dr. Jack Ferguson to rescue her before drowning (Lawrence 206). Puzzled by Dr. Ferguson's act to save her life, Mabel insisted that the doctor loved her, making the doctor convicted that indeed he loved her (Lawrence 210). As a result, they got intimate, leading to which led marriage. Hence society evolvement influencing romantic relationships.

Acquaintances also develop as a result of society's evolvement. In Dr. Ferguson's case in The Horse Dealer's Daughter, he feels excited to interact with the varying types of people; contact with the rough, strongly- feeling people was a stimulant applied directly to his nerves (Lawrence 205). If it were not for his work nature, the doctor would never contact these people. At first, Dr. Ferguson could also interact with Mabel at an acquaintance level as the doctor does not even greet her when he pays a visit to the brothers (Lawrence 202). The two also tend to be hostile towards each other in their engagements. Hence Society evolvements could be said to affect relationships at the acquaintance level.

Conclusion

Friendship, family, romantic relationships, and acquaintances are affected by society evolvement. From the two texts, Cathedral by Raymond Carver and The horse dealer's daughter by David Herbert Lawrence, friendships are built from how well people treat each other. Family relationships are out of fostering tolerance among members, and romantic relationships run around the act of compassion to our partners. On the other hand, acquaintances result from daily encounters and form the basis of solidified relationships. Therefore, society should uphold values when evolving to foster healthy relationships.