The Simpsons

The Simpsons are a nuclear family. Homer is the father, Marge is the mother, and the children

are Bart, Lisa, and Baby Maggie. References to other, older, and extended family members
occasionally occur, but usually the family is the focus of the drama. Also, the older relatives, like
Grandpa, seem to be in nursing homes, which implies that the family unit perceives itself to be
nuclear and does not intend to incorporate other figures into its fold at any point in time.
What are at least three family roles?
Homer is the breadwinner, officially, as Marge does not work for pay. Marge is a kind of
gatekeeper, as Homer is often not effective in being fair in his disciplineshe reprimands Bart
when he does poorly in school, but gently, asks the children to be nice to their father when he is
difficult, and makes sure the family comes together most nights to have a nice dinner. The health
officer of the family would be Maggie, as Maggie is always concerned about how the family
spends its time, eats, and cares about the larger world environment.
What is the familys life stage according to Duvall?
Stage 4 - Families with middle school children (children have not entered puberty.)
What are two strengths this family demonstrates?
Marge is one of the great family strengths. She is warm and compassionate, always listens to her
children, and tries to see things from everyone elses perspective. She is always willing to admit
when she is wrong.
Another great strength is that the children are very imaginative. Lisa is artistic. She plays the
saxophone and is always looking to learn new things about the world. Bart is creative in his own
way. Even though he is often getting into mischief, he is always exciting and interesting, and
prevents the family from falling into set routines and patterns of behavior.