Bad Families in Sunday in the Park by Bel KaufmanWhen first reading, "Sunday in the Park" by Bel Kaufman seems to be the story of two families in a public park; one family is good and likes to avoid conflict, and the other is a more hostile family consisting of a father and son, both of whom seem to be tyrants. There are, however, clues in the story that may cause readers to change their minds about which family is bad or good. Although I have not been able to find any critical articles to support my thesis on "Sunday in the Park", I believe there is enough evidence in the story to suggest that my interpretation of the story is valid . , the author gives the reader images of the two families that demonstrate the level of goodness of each family. In the first paragraph, Morton, the father of the "good" family, is described as "reading the section of the Times Magazine, one arm draped over his [the mother's] shoulder" (965). Additionally, the mother's attitude towards this day is seen when she says to herself, "How good" (965). Morton and the mother happily watch their son, Larry, play in the park sandbox. All these images suggest a happy family living a good life. Even the mother's thoughts express the goodness she feels towards her family and life in general. On the other hand, the author explains the "bad" family, Joe and his father, using images that demonstrate the "bully" in each of them. Kaufman introduces Joe, writing, "The other boy suddenly stood up and, with a quick, deliberate movement of his chubby arm, threw a shovelful of sand at Larry" (965). The speaker describes the child's father by saying, "He hasn't looked up from his comics, but......in the middle of a sheet...his father is enjoying a nice day at the park just like Larry's family is. From Joe's father's perspective, his child can throw sand in a public sandbox unless he says not to. The reader knows that throwing sand is deliberate, but Joe could have simply thrown it away. just to get Larry's attention so he can have someone to play with. There are hints suggesting that Larry's mother, in some way, envies Joe and his father because they can stand up for themselves. She is ashamed. of her husband and son because they don't "fight their own battles." The suggestion that Morton is violent toward the boy also helps the reader see that Larry's family is just as bad, if not worse, than Joe's. family. Works Cited Kaufman, Bel. “Sunday in the Park”. The Harper Fiction Anthology Ed Sylvan Barnet New York: HarperCollins., 1986.