If someone asked you if you liked cookies or brownies better, what would you say? That is an impossible choice to have to make! The character Ashes, in Susan Beth Pfeffer’s short story, Ashes, is faced with a dramatic choice, like the one above. She needs to figure out who she should side with in her parents’ divorce. She struggles to figure out the right thing to do, you can’t just side with one parent over the other one… or can you? She encounters a difficult decision and has to choose between safety and risky. Should she believe in her dad, or should she keep it safe with her mom.
If you have been cautious your whole life, and then asked to take a risk, would you? this is the kind of situation Ashes is in. She doesn’t know whether she should take a risk with her dad or play it safe with her mom. Ashes' father is out in the open, a dreamer as he calls himself, but is that who Ashes whats to turn into, to be for the rest of her life? In the story it says, “When I was little, Dad used to promise me the stars for a necklace, but like most of his promises, that one never quite happened.” This part of the story shows how Ashes knows how her father can’t always be there for her and give her what she needs, but he at least attempts to give her something or make her feel special. This specific line shows that the father doesn’t care about his promises. All he does is claim that he can give people things he can’t. This definitely hurts the relationship and trust he has formed with his daughter, and it will come back and hurt him someday. This is kind of like the Boy Who Cried Wolf, in this case, it is a father who doesn’t keep his promises. Another example of her dad carelessly forgetting his promises is when he promises Ashes a cup of rice pudding, then just shoves his guarantee into the back of his head and just let is sit there and rot. He says, “ ‘Then we’ll get some rice pudding for dessert,’ ”, then later it says, “ The rice pudding test long forgotten.” This shows how Ashes’ father will just make a promise to her and then totally forget he said it in the first place. The phrase I promise, is just another couple words in the dictionary that have absolutely no meaning to him.
On the other hand, Ashes’ mother is the exact opposite of her father. Ashes’ mother is organized, prepared, and always ready for everything. While Ashes’ father is forgetful, unreliable, and dishonest. Both of her parents are complete opposites of each other, that is why Ashes is having a hard time figuring out who she is really more of. Is she more like her father, going into things head first, or more like her mother, taking things slowly and carefully. In the passage, Ashes’ father tells her, “ ‘One in a million,’ he said. ‘And don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise, Ashes. They will, you know. They’ll try to tear you down. They’ll laugh at your dreams.’ ”. This particular piece of advice is pretty unrealistic. Of course there will be times where people will not accept her but eventually come around to it. Ashes dad is the kind of person that thinks like he is in a story book. He says things not because it is the truth, but because it makes people feel better about themselves. Sure, this is a nice thing to be told every once in a while, but to tell Ashes that she is the most valuable and outstanding person in the world all the time instead of what he really believes is kind of upsetting, although she is being complemented. On the contrary, Ashes’ mother is always on top of things and prepared for everything. In the story, Ashes describes her mother as, “The most practical person I know, always putting aside for a rainy day.” Ashes’ mom is the sort of person who carries everything around in her handbag the kind of person who has plans made in advance for all situations. Both of Ashes’ parents are very important people. But they both totally contradict each other. It is very hard to choose who you want to be more like, especially when it comes to deciding between your parents.
In conclusion, Ashes is at a fork in the road of her life. She can choose to follow the road that her mother took or the road her father took. Careful, or careless. Sometimes, you have to follow your heart and do what you think is best, not because you should side with one or the other. When you come to a fork in the road, what should you do? There is one way, and another way, but then there is also a little dirt path right in the middle of both of them. What would you choose? Left or right? Fantasy or reality? Cookies or brownies?
