First of all, I want to say how much I am enjoying The Bean Trees. One of my good friends is a Kingsolver fan, and I'm glad I finally get to read her work. As far as the ideal of the "American Family", I don't think there should be a set criteria for that. I am in a family of just my mom and myself, and I consider us in an ideal situation. Most kids I know that live in single-parent homes have a much better relationship with his/her parent than those who live with both. I still think that shows like Family Ties are entertaining, but I would like to see more single family shows that are not completely disfunctional. One of my all time favorite shows is The Cosby Show. There wasn't much conflict, but it was never boring either. I wish we would watch and analyze an episode of Rosanne. I think that this show has been the closest thing to depicting a real family. Something I don't understand is that many people have a problem with the increasing divorce rate. Obviously, the couple wasn't happy in the marriage, so why stay in it and be miserable? If divorce was as acceptable in the 1950s perhaps so many housewives wouldn't have been addicted to drugs. I think that more people are pursuing their happiness today, and if being a single parent means a happier family life then that's how it should be.