Tom Finder

Tom Finder

Thematic Essay

Substance abuse is the overuse of drugs that can impair thinking and can lead to physical, mental, and emotional disturbance. The use of drugs can cause problems in family relationships. Statistics show that more than one third of families involved with the child welfare system have alcohol or drug-related problems that contribute to the abuse or neglect of their children. A main them that is evident in the novel of Tom Finder is the tragic effects of substance abuse in family relationships. This novel tells the story of a 15 year old teenage boy named Tom Nader who loses his identity, and is doing everything he can to remember it. However, when he does remember his identity, he decides that he wants to create a new life for himself. One instance were this is evident is when Tom's stepfather physically abused his mother due to substance abuse. Another example that demonstrates this issue is when Tom's own mother took her anger out on tom, because of the overuse of alcohol. Another example that shows substance abuse was a main cause in the families was when Wolf's son Danielle moved out so he could obtain more drugs. Substance abuse was the main factor in the parting of these families that were emotionally close but separated due to substance abuse.

One instance that demonstrates effects of drugs on family relationship is when Tom's step father Bruce, takes his anger out on Tom's mother due to the overuse of alcohol. When Tom's stepfather took his anger out on Tom's mother it caused eruption, anger, and violence. These were things that caused an unstable environment in toms home, which is the reason why he moved out. He could not handle the constant arguing and fighting. The fact that his mother took this abuse from Bruce, also brought out anger inside of Tom. Watching his own mother take the abuse day after day was frustrating for him and he believed that his mother could of moved out and created a better life for both him and her. On page 122 Tom says " ....why....why couldn't you have made it better for me and yourself, your own son? Did you have to stay and let both of us get physically abused everyday?". This could have been Tom's main problem from the start. The mother was constantly being threatened by Bruce, which caused fear in the relationship. If the mother were to ever attempt to call the police he Bruce would say, "You tell the police, and I'll kill you. Hell, and your son, too. Got that?" Bruce's possessive and controlling behaviour causes Tom to live in fear, and eventually he decided that he could not take it any more so he moved out. While Tom was on the streets he thought about taking drugs so he could coop with the pressures of his life, but he decided that he did not want to end up like his mother or his stepfather. Drugs caused Bruce, the stepfather of Tom to act on the mother with physical abuse, which caused to Tom to move out and want to take drugs himself to suppress the pressure that he feels in life.

Another things that demonstrated the disastrous effects of substance abuse on the family is when Tom own mother takes her anger out on Tom due alcohol abuse and the physical abuse from Bruce who is Tom's step-father. Since the mother was being emotionally and physically