Charles Foran's "Kids R Hell" presents a range of expert analyzes of parental values ​​regarding child discipline (with Foran's contribution on the inaccuracy of each). He posits: “To approach every disciplinary decision with the thought that it may prove dangerous to your child's well-being or to your own self-esteem is to invite madness into your home. » Ridiculing parents who condemn physical punishment of children, Foran believes that a slap when a child misbehaves demonstrates a serious implausibility of traumatizing that child or labeling the parent a child molester; furthermore, he finds the idea of ​​never resorting to corporal punishment absurd and a sure way to fail in disciplining children. Of course, for some parents, like Okonkwo of Chinua Achebe's Thing Fall Apart, the line between necessary physical force and child abuse becomes blurred, while for others, like Reb Saunders of Chaim Potok's The Chosen, the resorting to more creative methods of parenting seems favorable. Their unconventional parenting methods – whether derived from or influenced by their occupations – cease to be effective as each son grows up; However, because Reb eventually dissipates his obviously erroneous imposition of silence, while Okonkwo stubbornly maintains his narrow-minded bigotry, one father redeems himself, while the other never speaks to his son again. A dismal baseball accident, in which Danny almost blinds Reuven's left. eye, prompts the apologetic culprit to visit the weakened victim – beginning an enigmatic friendship between two people from two rival Jewish sects. Reuven notes that Rabbi Reb Saunders' son Danny "dressed like a Hasid, but didn't talk like one." From an external perspective, Danny's attitude... middle of paper... should never be one of authoritarianism but rather one that a former child may begrudgingly admit to (when he remembers his punishments) seemed fair. . The difficulty, however, lies in the parent's ability to determine a reasonable disciplinary measure. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things are falling apart. 1959. New York: Random House, 1994. Print. Didato, Salvatore V. “Are you listening to adolescents? » The big book of personality tests. New York: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 2003. 72-74. Printed.- --. “Can you spot a child in trouble?” The big book of personality tests. New York: BlackDog and Leventhal Publishers, 2003. 69. Print.Foran, Charles “Kids R Hell.” Saturday evening. 109.10 (Dec. 94 / Jan. 95): 123.EbscoHost Web June 5, 2012. .Potok, Chaim New York: Random House, 1967..