Film and Media Studies Commons^™

Parental Absence In Modern Narratives, Mario Avalos

Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference

The protagonists of most fictional stories are characters whose origins often involve traumatic events that either lead to them wanting to do good in the world or wondering what their purpose really is. In many cases, this event is often something closely related to the central character’s parents. This “parental absence” can and generally does become a defining trait of the protagonist as they progress through life and, more evidently, through the immediate narrative. Considering the prevalence of this trope in television, film, literature, and other popular media, it is important to identify the recurring conflicts characters undergoing “parental absence” …