Disappointment In Children At Sea Pines

One of the main recurring themes of the novel is disappointment. The patients attending the residential treatment facility, are repeatedly being disappointed, disappointing those around them, or even disappointing themselves. One of their most common causes of disappointment come from those who love them the most: their families. When coming from their families, feelings are especially magnified, especially disappointment, which can be devastating to a patient’s self esteem. Most kids rely on their parents to love, care and support them unconditionally. However, we see that this isn’t always the case for many of the kids at Sea Pines.

An example of this is on visiting day, when Callie is told by her brother “ ‘If you’re looking for Dad, he’s not coming’ ”(20), which disappoints Callie because she genuinely hoped her father would visit her. Although this may not be intentional, parents of these kids end up making it seem as if they are a burden to take care of and visit. Most parents are working long hours to pay for the treatments given at Sea Pines and can’t find the time to come and see them. Callie was disappointed that her father couldn't come and see her and, throughout the book, thinks about him a lot. When the patients don’t receive the support they need, this can lead to a longer and slower recovery. Callie believes she has

Which means it’s my fault my mom’s not the same anymore and my fault my dad’s not around anymore. It’s all my fault’ ”(117). She believes that she is responsible for her brother Sam’s asthma attack, but when asked why she blames herself, her best response is “ ‘I made him cry? I got him upset?’ ”(117). Even though Callie is told “a person doesn’t get asthma from crying, from being upset” (117). She continues to blame herself for something completely out of her control, and which she has never been blamed