The Artificial Family

"The Artificial Love” In Anne Tyler’s “The Artificial Family,” the personality and character of three individuals are revealed: Toby, Mary and Samantha. The story has no real resolution and seems to end where it began. The characters learn and unlearn by the time the story is complete. There is no long introduction or development of the characters; the characters develop throughout the short story. Tyler uses immediate dialogue making the story even more intriguing …

…them as his own was love. Mary wanted love but found herself being loved as second best. And Samantha found love from Toby but was taken away by her mom. All three sought for love and found it. Unfortunately, they did not learn how to communicate love with each other. The story “The Artificial Family” leaves the reader with a sense of tragedy. It was tragic that the marriage ended so quickly and so abruptly.