Full explain about 'Search for a Stranger' - Gordon Livingston

                                                                             Search for a Stranger - Gordon Livingston

 About the Author

                     Dr. Gordon Livingston, a Columbian psychiatrist, and the author was born in Memphis, Tenn. He was the son of Stanton Livingston, an Orthopedic Surgeon and Veterans Administration hospital chief, and his wife, Bonnie Keegan. He graduated from the US Military Academy and became an infantry officer in the military hospital. His first book Only Spring deals with the death of his six-year-old son from leukemia. The Thing You Think You Cannot Do is a very outstanding book about developing personal virtues. Besides, he has also published the bestseller Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart about the inspirational truths in life. His book And Never Stop Dancing discloses the roadblocks and the surprises of life.

Summary 

The Short-Story Search for a Stranger explores the relationship that can exist between strangers. The Short Story, "Search for a Strange written by Gordon Livingston, is actually the search by the author for his mother. He feels that his mother is a stranger since he was adopted and did not know the truth till he was thirty-eight years old. The author is a child psychiatrist working in columbia, USA. The author tells us about what happened to him the previous summer. One day his cousin asked him about his work. The author told about a conference, which he had attended on adopted children. The difficulties faced by adopted children had been discussed at that conference. These children needed professional help to overcome the emotional problems, they faced. One of the emotional problems was the feeling of a double identity. If a child wanted to know about his/her natural parents, the law did not help them. The courts usually sealed the adoption records. An adopted children usually felt bad when they could not easily find out about their birth, they feel that there is something shameful about them when they find out that their births have been kept a secret. The Cousin wanted to know why an adopted child should know about its adoption. The author says that the child should know the truth from their adopted parents. If the child learns the truth of their adoption from other people, that he/she is adopted then there can be psychological damage. 

                 The author's fourth child, Michael is adopted and he had told him the truth. The cousin then asked what he would do if he knew that he was an adopted child. The author replied that he would start searching for his natural parents. The cousin immediately asked him to start searching for his parents. The author thought that his cousin was joking but slowly he realized that he was speaking the truth. He was an adopted child. The author felt very bad that he had not been told the truth for so long. He was thirty-eight years old. He could not face the truth. Till now he had thought his adopted parents were his natural parents. He had been thinking that he was Scotch-Irish. Many questions arose in the author's mind. He was suddenly experiencing the problems that an adopted child experienced when he/She found the truth.

               He asked his adopted father as to why he had hidden the truth from him. He says that he was afraid that he might have liked to see his natural parents. They were afraid of losing him. The author assures his adopted father that he would always consider him and his mom as his parents. His adopted mother had died a year ago. The author then starts his search for his natural parents. The author was born on June 30, 1938. When he had beenadopted, his parents had been living in the city of Detroit.They had come along with their friends, the martins who had also adopted a child. He had been adopted from an agency in Memphis, Tennessee.The author made telephone calls to the martins and found out that he had been adopted from the Tennessee children's home society. 

              The author wanted permission from the Tennessee department of public welfare to see the records of the children's home society. Since all adoption records were sealed by law, permission was denied. The author left his parents to his colleagues and then flew to Memphis. He could not find any record in the memphis city hall (every American town has a library and a reading hall.)He then went to a local newspaper office and asked for its old issues. He found out that the children's home had been closed in 1950, The director had been semns prostitutes, and mental patients. The author wondered to which category his mother belonged. The author engaged a local lawyer to help him in his search. The next day the lawer found out that the author's birth name was Donald Alfred Cardell. His sealed records were in the Memphis Courthouse. The next morning the author and his lawyer went to the Courthouse and made a request to see the records. The records were given to him. and the children. The children were usually the children of unwed mothers, His adoption decree was signed on the 17th of August 1940. His mother's name was Ann Simmons Cardell. Tr.e records stated that his father had abandoned the child. The author asked for a copy. The clerk realized that the author was holding his adoption decree. She took the adoption decree from him and said that he had to get the peimission of the judge for a copy. 

          The author's lawyer found out that his nother had been a school teacher from Mississippi. The author flew to Jackson, the capital city of Mississippi, and found his mother's name in the academic records of the Dep. rtment of Education. She completed her master's degree in education in the year 1952. The author made a phone call to the college's alumni office. They informed him that they had received a letter from Miss. cardell ten vears ago from a place called Natchez. He found the name of Alfred Cardell Jr. in the phone book. He made a phone call to Alfred and found. that Ann Cardell was his aunt. He told the author that Ann Cardell was living in Savannah. 

              The author flew to Savannah and called up Ann Cardell, He told. ber that he was her son and that he would like to meet her. She invited him to her home. Ann Cardell, his mother, was an elderly lady above sixty years of age. She Served him Coffee. She then began to tell the author about his birth. She had been born in a farming family in Mississippi. She had fallen in love with a hansome man, twenty eight years old then. When she was pregnant, She has requested him to marry her. But he had gone away. An unmarried pregnant lady was not respected in Mississippi. So, she had gone to memphis to have the baby. In this manner the author was born. ho was a good dancer. He was The author felt, he was listening to his life history. He sympathized with his mother. His father had died three years ago due to cancer. His mother then told him how she kept in touch with him. She had a unique way of keeping track of him through her students to be her son. 

              When she comforted a child, she felt as if she were comforting the author. She tried to give it to him by giving it to all her students. When she knew that the author would be in the third grade she applied for a transfer to that grade. By doing this, she felt that she was close to her son. But then she felt that she was becoming selfish. She wanted to forget him. She wanted to see him as a man. She was proud that he was now sitting in front of her. She asked him to forgive her. The author went and touched his mother. It was for the first time in thirty-eight years that he was doing so. Thus, the author opens the secret of an adopted child's life.

Gordon Livingston

Question and Answer 

Q. 1:- Why did the writer think that his cousin was Joking? 

Ans :- The author was a child Psychiatrist in columbia, who recently attend a conference on behaviour difficulties in adopted children. At the conference, the complicated circumstances faced by the adopted children were discussed and debated. 

              The author's cousin asked about his work when he get the infor- mation about the adopted child's emotional problem.Then his cousin asked why the adopted children were required to know about his/heradoption.The author told that if the child comes to know the truth of his/her adoption from other people, there can be severe psychological harm.Because his/ her adoptive parents hide the secret from him/her in case they are afraid that they lose their child. The cousin then asked what he would do if he came to know that he was an adopted child. The author suddenly re- plied that he would start searching for his natural parents. Then the cousin asked him to start searching for his parents. At that time, the author thought that his cousin was joking because the author did not know that he was an adopted child of his parents. And he did not know the truth till at the age of 38. His adoptive parents kept a secret of his addption be- cause they are afraid that they will lose him.They afraid that when he know the reality he feel to meet his natural parents and they lose him. But when the author realizes that he was an adopted child he feels alienated, he feels the problems of double identity, an alienation which he discussed in the conference. and thought that they were real problems and they were his own problems.

Q. 2:- Why did the adoptive father not tell the writer about his history? 

Ans:- The Short-Story, 'Search for a stranger' is written by Gordon S. Livingston, who was a columbian psychiatrist and author The story deals, with the relationship that can exist between strangers. It is actually the story of the author's search for his own mother. He feels that his mother is a stranger since he was adopted and did not know the truth of dual identity until he was 38 years old. s. One day author's cousin asked him about his wòrk. 

               The author told him about a conference on adopted children, the difficulties faced by adopted children, the emotional problem of the feeling of double identity etc. Were discussed at the conference. And it was concluded that theadopted children require professifonal assistance to overcome emotional problems they confront. When the Cousin asked why the adoalpted child want to know about his/her adoption.The author told that if the child knows about his/her adoption from other people there was psychological damage. 

               The child wanted to meet his/her natural parents.The cousin asked him if he knew that he was an adopted child. what he would do? The author replied that he would start searching for his natural parents. The author's Cousin told him that he was an adopted child of his parents.The author feels bad that he had not been told the truth until the age of 38 years old. The author asked his adopted father as to why he had hidden the truth from him. He says that he was afraid that he might have liked to see his natural parents. His adopted parents were afraid of losing him. Thus the author's adoptive father does not tell the writer about his history.

Q. 3:- What did the probate court of shelby County document state ?

 Ans:- The Short-story,Search for a stranger, is written by Gordon S.Livingston, who was a psychiatrist and author. The story is about the author's search for his own mother. The author was a child psychiatrist who attend a conference on the emotional problems and difficulties of adopted children. In the conference, it was concluded that the adopted children require professional help to overcome their emotional problems.The author's cousin asked him about why an adopted child wanted to know about his adobtion from his adoption.The author told that the child should know the truth about his adoption form his adopted parents but if he/she know the truth from other person he/she feel insecure, feel ashamed on his/ her birth. Then author's cousin told him that he (author) was an adopted child of his parents.By knowing that the author feels very bad because he did not know about his adoption from his parents untill at the age of 38. The author asked his adopted father about his adoption and why they kept a secret about his adoption. His adopted father told that they feel afraid that might they lose him. 

               They thought that he (author) wants to meet his natural parents and they lose him. And they did not want to lose him.The author assured his adopted father that he would always consider him as his parents. And starts his search for his natural parents. The author then goes many places to find out information about his natural parents. On his journey, he went to Memphis Courthouse, Where he received his adoption decree, headed probate Court of shelby County,17th day of August 1940. His mother's name was Ann Simons Cardell. The document stated that, "The child is destitute and helpless, that the father has abandoned the child."

Q. 4:- Why did the clerk in the Court grab the papers from the author's hand?

 Ans :- The Short-Story "Search For a Stranger", is written by Gordon S Livingston. It deals with the relationship that can exist between strangers. The author was a child psychiatrist who recently attend a workshop on the emotional problems and difficulties of the adopted child. It was concluded that the adopted children require professional help to overcome the emotional problems they confront. The author's Cousin asked him why the adopted children want to know about/her adoption.The author replied that the adopted children should know the reality from the adopted parent but if he/she knows the truth from any other there can be harmful psychological damage to the child. The author's cousin told him that he(author) was an adopted child of his parents and this truth was kept a secret from him.When the author know that he was an adopted child. 

               He asked to his adopted father about it and asked why would they did not told him? Th e author's adopted father told that they afraid that they lose him, they feared that he wants to meet his natural parents and lose him. The author promised him/ that he always consider him as his natural parents but he get permission from his adopted father for meet to his natural parent. The author went for search to his real parents. He collect information from place to place. He was adopted from an agency in Memphis. Tennesse. His mother's name was Ann Simmons Cardell. He was adopted on August 17, 1940. Then he know that his mother had been a school teacher from Missis- sippi. There in the court-house he asked for his adoption decree with help of a local lawyer. The clerck from probate court of shelby County give adoption decree, which state that. 'The child is destitute and helpless. that the father has abandoned the child. After reading this the author became emotional and asked his lawyer for the copy of his adoption.

            The clerk suddenly realized that the adoption decree belongs to the author himselfand the clerk grabbed the paper from his hands. She told that only Judge can give him permission to see this records. Because law did not allow to see the records, it keptscaled.The clerck did not know that the adoption decree was belongs to the author himself, so she grabbed the paper from his hand when she knew it.

05:- Throw light on the circumstances the author goes through in his search for his real mother. ?

Ans:-.The story deals with the relationship that can exist between strangers. It is actually the story of the author's search for his own mother. The author was a child psychiatrist who worked in columbia and recently attend a conference on the difficulties and problems of the adopted child. It was concluded that they need professional help to overcome from them. The author thought that, the adopted child should know about his adoption from his/her adoptive parents. The Short Story 'Search for a Stranger' is written by Gordon S. The author's Cousin told him that he (author) was an adopted child and asked him what would he do if he know that he was an adopted child of his parents. The author replied he start searching for his natural parents. First, the author feels very sad because he did not know about his adoption, he thought that his adoptive parents are his natural parents. 

               He asked his father why would he keep the secret from him until the age of 38. His adoptive father told that they afraid of losing him, if he know the truth, he afraid that might he want to see his natural parents and they would lose him. The author assured his adopted father that he would always consider him and mother as his parents. and he asked permission from his adopted father to meet his natural parents for one time. His adopted father give him the permission and the author's Journey of searching his natural parents was start. The author had been adopted from the Tennessee Children's Home Society. He flew to Memphis to find the adoption record but all adoption records were sealed by Law, permission was not granted. He then rushed to local newspaper office and asked for its old issues. He find out the front page story of a newspaper which revealed that the director had been selling children for high fees.She sold the babies of unmarried mother's, prostitutes and mental patients. So the Home had been closed. 

              There was an obstacle in his way, but he engaged a local lawyer to help him in his search. The next day the lawyer found out that the author's birth name was Donald Alfred Cardell. He was born on June 30. 1938. His mother's name wvas Ann Simons Cardell. The sealed records are in the Memphis Court House and the author's lawyer knew the Court house Clerk. It was enough good for him in his search. The next day the lawyer Casually asked for the record of the adoption to the clerk She give an envelope to them, which was an adoption decree, headed probet Court shelby County, 17th day of August 1940. The document stated that "The child is destitute and helpless' that the father has abandoned thechild'. This could mean that he was an unwanted child of his father. The author asked for a copy of his adoption decree but the clerk denied giving it by giving the reason that only Judge can give him permission to see this. 

               In the meanwhile his lawyer found out that his mother was a school teacher from Mississippi. Again the author was become happy to see a chance to meet his mother. He went to Missis- sippi, to the Department of Education and see the Academic Records in which he found that his mother Ann Simmons Cardell had received a master's degree in education in 1952 and found the name of the college where she had earned it. He called to the college alumni office and asked for Ann Cardell's adress but the officer told that her last correspondence this office is from Natchez before ten years ago. The author flew to natchez and search in the phonebook for number Hardly he found the number named alfred cardell. When he called to this number the person told that Ann Cardell lives in Savannah. The author landed in Savannah called Ann Cardell and told her that he was her son and want to meet her. The author's mother also become happy and want to meet him and talk about his past. The author arrived at the adress where on the door an attractive and dignified women in her 60 s stood to welcome him. She gave me a coffee to him and began to speak in a low guared voice. She told that she had been born in 1912 in the farmer's family of mississippi. In her college days during her first year his father was a young handsome man of 28 years old, a marvellous dancer. She fall in love with him.In the meantime, She learned the she was pregnant She begged him to marry her and give her baby a clear name.But he never come back again. 

               So she decided to went to memphis to have her baby and no one back home ever knew anything about it. That was the end of the story, the end of his search. His mother feel guilty for the seperation of her child from her. But she told that she had keeping track of his development through her students. She would assume her students to be her son. When she comforted a child, She felt as if she were comforting her own child. The tears was falling down from the eyes of his mother and she asked him for forgiveness. She held out her arms and the author touched his mother for the first time in the last 38 years. 

               Thus, the author unfolded the secret of an adopted child's life.

Q. 6 Discuss the author's mental condition as he began his search for his mother.?

 Ans :- The short-Story'Search for a stranger' is written by Gordon S.Livingston, who was a child psychiatrist, columbia.The story deals with the relationship that can exist between strangers. It is actually the story of the author's search for his own mother. The author recently attend a conference on the behavior and difficulties of the adopted child, and the emotional problem of double identity was discussed and debated. It was concluded that the adopted children required professional help to overcome the emotional problems they face. The author's cousin asked him that 'what he would do if he came to know that he was an adopted child. The author replied that he would start searching for his natural parents. Then the author's cousin told him that he was an adopted Child and his adopted parents did not open the secret because they feared might they lose him, they were frightened, that might he (author) want to meet his natural parents and they lose him.The author feel very bad for at the age of 38 years he consider his adoptive parents as his natural parents. It was the first shock for the author be- cause he was a child psychiatrist and recently he attend the conference on the problems of adopted children and found himself in the emotional problems of alienation, feeling of double identity. He felt that he had lost an important part of his identity.All the basic information, his name, his nationality, and his birth which he considered original become false. Many questions come into his mind and he could not able to give answers to his own questions. Now all the emotional problems of the other adopted children take place in the author's mind, he feel that they were real problems and they belonged to him.

                The author take the permission from his adopted father and start to search for his natural parents. First, he gathered the information that he was adopted from the agency of the "Tennessee children's Home society. "He went to memphis city to found out his record of adoption. when he reached there he knew that the Home had been closed because the director of the children's Home society had been selling children for high fees and making money. She had sold the babies of unmarried mothers, prostitutes and mental patients. There was another shock for the author, after hearing it he started searching himself in all these categories. And think about which of these categories was he belonged. It was very difficult for the author from which he was going on but he continue his search. The next day the author engaged a local lawyer to help in his search.

            After 24 hours the lawyer found out that his records sealed in the Memphis Courthouse where he (the lawyer) knew the court house clerk. The lawyer casually asked for the record of adoption. The clerk give the adoption decree., from which he knew that his birth name was DonaldAlfred cardell. The next morning the lawyer and the author went to the courthouse and made a request to see the records. And the records were given to him in which he found that his mother's name was Ann simmone cardell. There wase no any information about his father. There was an. Another mental snock for the author is when he read the adoption decree carefully which states that his father had abandoned the child. Here, it was cleared out that he was unwanted child of his parents. The author wants a copy of the adoption decree but the clerk denied to give it to him because without the permission of judge from the court it was not possible to give him. 

             The lawyer gathered the information that his mother had been a school teacher from mississippi. Then he flew to mississippi to found out the records of his mother's name in the department of education. There he collect the information that in the year 1952 his mother was completed her master's degree. Then the call to college's alumni office for his mother's address but they told him that they had received her last letter ten years ago from Natchez. He searched the name in the phone book but hardly he could get the number of Alfred cardell Jr in that phonebook. Then he made a phone call to ask about Ann cardell. He knew from the phone call that his mother was living in savannah and finally he reached seven- nah to meet his mother. When he reached at his mother's home, he saw that she was an elderly woman about sixty years of age. She served him a coffee and then she began to told him about his past. She told that when she was learning in the college she was fall in love with the most beautiful marvellous dancer. As they loved each other she became pregnant, she had requested him to marry her but he had gone away to never come. 

               Then she decide to give birth to her baby and had gone to memphis where no one can know about it. The author was mentally disturbed after hearing all about it but he sympathized with his mother. His mother asked him for forgiveness and she held out her arms and the author touched his mother for the first time in the last thirty-eight years. In this way his search for his mother was fulfilled.

Gordon Livingston

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