Like Daughter

5 Pages 1364 Words

Childhood, affects an individual psychically and emotionally in the future. Everyone must find ways to cope with emotions brought on by painful experiences. In Tananarive Due’s “Like Daughter,” Denise attempts to mend her broken childhood by going to the extreme of recreating herself science of cloning. As a result she suffers from a nervous breakdown because of the pain she is causing Neecy. Individuals should focus on the present to work towards a brighter future instead of trying to relive the past. Through the elements of character and plot Due proves that to come to terms with childhood problems one should focus their energy on moving forward instead of erasing emotions felt in the past.
In Due’s “Like Daughter”, Paige is portrayed as the protagonist with a sense of understanding and knowledge while Denise is the antagonist who makes an extreme decision. Although best friends and godmother to Neecy Paige insisted on keeping distance from Denise for fear on interfering with Denise’s plans to provide herself (Neecy) with a decent childhood. Paige states, “That was the other reason I’d kept some distance from Denise, I hadn’t wanted to be there to poke holes in what she was trying to do…her life could trot on happily ever after, just the way she’d planned, but that’s a lie, too…she sounded as if she’d died.” (92) Even without intruding on Denise’s life, Denise causes Neecy to endure pain (cry) proving Paige right that trying to recreate a childhood without flaws is impossible. Denise becomes emotional and can not stand to look at her young self hurt again. When Paige calls Denise Neecy she becomes excited and yells in a bitter tone, “I can’t stand to look at her.” (91) “Don’t call me Neecy, don’t you know better?” (95) Denise wants the name Neecy to represent the new childhood she created instead of the childhood she received. When Paige calls her Neecy she remembers her ...