Daughter

A 1931 photograph of four generations of mothers and daughters

A daughter is a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups or elements. The word daughter also has several other connotations attached to it. One of these being that the term daughter can also be used in reference to female descendancy or consanguinity. It can also be used as a term of endearment coming from an elder.

In patriarchal societies, daughters often have different or lesser familial rights than sons. A family may prefer to have sons rather than daughters because the daughters are subjected to female infanticide.[1] In some societies it is the custom for a daughter to be 'sold' to her husband, who must pay a bride price. The reverse of this custom, where the parents pay the husband a sum of money to compensate for the financial burden of the woman, is found in societies where women do not labour outside the home, and is referred to as dowry.


The number next to each box in the Table of Consanguinity indicates the degree of relationship relative to the given person.
First lady of the United States Betty Ford with her daughter Susan Ford

Perception

In the United States, the birth rate is 105 sons to 100 daughters which has been the natural birth rate since the 18th century. About 80 percent of prospective adoptive parents from the US will choose a girl over a boy. In clinics that enable sex preferences, daughters are usually preferred over sons.[2]

Daughters in Literature

The role of the daughter has been an important theme in literature, especially when exploring relationships between family members and gender roles. Through exploration of the relationship between children and their parents, readers can draw conclusions about the impact of parenting style on the growth and development of a child's character and personality.

Notable daughters whose character and development has been impacted by their parents in literature have been:

Daughter Parent/s Novel Author Year
Elizabeth Bennet Mr Bennet & Mrs Bennet (nee Gardiner) Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 1813
Jo March Marmee March Little Women Louisa May Alcott 1868
Francie Nolan Johnny and Katie Nolan A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith 1943
Scout Finch Atticus Finch To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee 1960
Meg Murry Alex and Kate Murry A Wrinkle In Time Madeleine L’Engle 1962
Astrid Magnussen Ingrid Magnussen and Klaus Anders White Oleander Janet Fitch 1999

See also

References[3]

  1. ↑ Stein, Dorothy: Burning widows, burning brides: The perils of daughterhood in India. Pacific Affairs, Vol 61, No. 3, p. 465. University of British Columbia.
  2. ↑ Rosin, Hanna (8 June 2010). "The End of Men". theatlantic.com.
  3. ↑ "30 of the Best Parents in Literature". 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2018-04-29.
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