ual abuse, the parents and children in both novels demonstrate a high level of dysfunctional behavior. In both novels the parents are conflicted. In the case of Joe and Rita, Rita works to support her family and suffers in silence in order to keep Joe from drinking to excess and becoming unmanageable. In one of the first scenes in the book, we see RitaÆs mode of handling Joe is aversion and secrecy, ôHe went out onto the streetàand while Rita watched from an upstairs window, leaning back is if frightened that heÆd see herö (Richards 1997, 7).
In the case of James and Materia, Materia and James are of different cultures, different intellectual levels, and Materia is virtually a child when James elopes with her. Early on in the novel, James attempts to sing the Song of Songs to Materia in his native tongue, explaining that he seemed to love Materia more when speaking in Gaelic. However, when he plays and sings the song Materia responds in Lebanese, ô'Habibi,Æ she whispered, æBe Hebak.Æ With my own hands I opened to my loveö (MacDonald 2002, 23). This is a very telling foreshadowing of their conflicted relationship, for James and Materia figuratively will never communicate in the same language. In both novels, the children will pay a price for their parentsÆ conflicted relationships. Such issues as alienation, parental conflict, separation, and alcohol abuse will pervade the lives of each family. Garber (2004) maintains that ôChildren exposed to co-parentsÆ conflict commonly experience distress and dysfunctionàWhen co-parents are in conflict, children are at risk for serious and lasting emotional harmö (55).
In Nights Below Station Street, conflict between the parents manifests in serious emotional dysfunction for Adele. In just the opening scenes we see a troubled adolescent in Adele, one whose behavior includes physical and verbal abuse directed primarily toward her father and her little sister Milly. Th...