preview

A Relationship Between The Husband And Wife

Satisfactory Essays

Today in class we watched When a man loves a woman. It is about a woman named Alice who developed a severe drinking problem. She is married and has two daughters. She works as a school counselor and her husband works as a pilot. Her husband, Michael was patient during her alcoholism; however, he appeared to be enabling it as well. It is when her alcoholism threatens her daughter’s safety when she decides to enter rehab. When she returns from rehab her new lifestyle causes problems within her marriage and the couple began to become aware of their problems.
There were rules that governed the relationship between the husband and wife in this film. The rules of the family are shaped so that Alice is the focus of the family as well as her marriage. Because of these rules there was a relationship that developed with their children and these rules interfered with communication. The daughters learned to become adjusted to their mother and her problem. They had to learn that their mother had multiple sides to her and when she was drunk they had to proceed with caution. They had a don’t ask don’t tell rule within the family. The problems weren’t discussed or acknowledged prior to Alice’s going to rehab.
I first observed the denial in the family system when Alice was late one evening to relieve her baby sitter. Her husband had to call in for work in order to watch the kids. Alice came in drunk and it was barely acknowledged. He likes to keep his wife distracted from the issue at

Get Access