Expectations vs. Reality
Throughout “Five-Dollar Family,” Michelle’s expectations—of herself, her baby, and her boyfriend, Des—repeatedly go unmet. These expectations largely center around what she believes motherhood and parenthood “should” feel like or look like, at least according to the various forms of media she was exposed to throughout her pregnancy (e.g., informational brochures, greeting cards, etc.). Through Michelle’s unmet expectations and her ultimate acceptance of reality, the story shows that media and advertising set lofty…
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Motherhood
“Five-Dollar Family” follows its protagonist, Michelle, as she gives birth to her first baby and adjusts to being a new mother. Though the story depicts several tender moments between Michelle and her newborn baby, Jason, the story largely frames Michelle’s transition into motherhood as both physically and emotionally taxing. Over the course of the story, she struggles to breastfeed, suffers a painful tear in labor, worries about the financial responsibility of having a…
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Family
After Michelle gives birth to her first child, Jason, she gradually releases her hope of having the “perfect” nuclear family—or even a dysfunctional one that looks perfect on the outside. What stands in the way of Michelle’s vision of the perfect family is Des: Michelle’s boyfriend and Jason’s father. With four criminal charges to his name and no more paroles, Des is headed to prison in a matter of days, effectively forcing Michelle…
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