Big Brother Little Sister Short Story

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Short Story: Big Brother Little Sister Author: Witi Ihimaera Commonly when couples divorce or separate the impact on their children is huge, Witi shares a story that describes a fairly typical scenario in which a new father figure is introduced into the family but unfortunately is not interested in the children in the house. Hema portrays the role of the older brother that has to step up and play the father figure to his younger sister, his responsibility has come about because he needs to provide the love and protection that has become no longer available from their mother, father and step-father. Many older siblings find themselves in the situation and although i find it admirable that this young man looked after his sister so well, it is also extremely sad that a young man would find himself in this position. It is unfortunate that in some de facto relationships the insecurity of a partner causes the values or beliefs to change and for that partner to protect themselves at the disadvantage of the child, I believe it is important to always put your children first and have a strong support structure from your extended family.…show more content…
During the story the author also uses the word “mimi” frequently to describe going to the toilet in the maori language which is an example of code switching. I think its great to see short stories including maori words as It is important for us to continue to raise awareness of the maori language. Having stories including maori words will ensure this
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