I know a lot of unpacking words/letters/email goes in the "is this abuse" section. However, this is not abuse and so i dont know where exactly to put it, hence, general advice. Premise: My little sister is in france for a study abroad program and she is staying there until december. We talked a bit a few days where she asked me if i applied for a certain job she's been bugging me to apply to. I have not. the next day, i got words in the email and cannot parse because i get irrationally angry at them. Can someone halp? Spoiler: words words words Dear [Shy], Your sister here! So I understand that school has started once again, so I thought things would die down over there. But Mama is saying that she and mommy and papa are all too overwhelmed by the kids- there’s too many of them, the three of them are not their healthiest right now, etc etc. I also know that you are minimally employed at the moment. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, [SHY]. I’m disappointed in you that you have no drive to get a real, full time job. I’m disappointed to hear that on your days off, you sleep until noon while Mommy is downstairs trying to take care of 4+ kids with only the help of Papa, whose arm has still not healed. YOU CAN DO BETTER. You don’t listen to us when we tell you it’s fucking time to get a job, otherwise you’ll be out of medical care. We are so lucky, so blessed, to have a mother who provides for us when we are lazy. But enough is enough. You’re lucky I’m not Mommy, because I would do things the American way- If you don’t want to get a job and contribute to the household you can leave. You can find somewhere else to live because I wouldn’t put up with that, Nina. But Mommy is not like that, it’s never even crossed her mind to kick you out. You don’t know how blessed you are. Basically, I want this to be the last time I talk about this. YOU NEED TO GET A REAL, FULL TIME JOB. I DONT CARE WHAT IT IS. FUCKING MCDONALDS CAN BE A FULL TIME JOB. STEP OFF OF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND FUCKING DO SOMETHING. DO IT FOR YOURSELF, DO IT FOR THE FAMILY, I DONT CARE. JUST FUCKING DO IT. You really went through how many years of schooling just to be dependent on your mother? Grow the fuck up. Your ignorance and laziness is causing so much stress on everyone. You have graduated college. I helped you with your resume. STOP WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO FALL INTO YOUR FUCKING LAP, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND FIND THE JOB. And I don’t give a single shit about what Cat said about whatever position might be available for you in ten years. YOU ARE OUT OF TIME. GET A JOB. Go online, go to craigslist, start handing out resumes, whatever fucking floats your boat. I just don’t want to hear from Mama anymore about how you’re not doing anything productive. Show some ambition. I’m saying this because I love you. You don’t know how badly I want to threaten you, give you an ultimatum, tell you “if you don’t get a job by Thanksgiving, then blah blah blah,” but I can’t because there’s nothing I could do. Mommy is never gonna tell you anything like that. She will keep providing for you whether or not you get a job until her dying day. Stop taking advantage of that. Your sister, [THE BIGGEST BRAT IN THE WORLD] Notes: Mama and Papa are actually my aunt and uncle who live with us. For those that dont know, my mother runs a home daycare. Thank you in advance
That is crazy rude. She seems to think that berating you will be motivating? Which, as common an idea as it is, is still really stupid.
I think this letter gave a pretty good number of hints about it. The repeated use of "disappointed" is a pressing of shame buttons, an attempt to put you in pain to lead you to action, like you're a horse she's digging spurs into. Accurate. This letter has a lot of bootstrap philosophy in it. Repeated assertions that your situation is unusually fortunate. Pressure to feel grateful to family and try to balance the books by doing things (increased employment and income) for their benefit. Repeated accusations that your actions, insufficient to your sister's standards, are laziness. More shame button pressing. "High horse" implies she thinks you're refusing to get a job that you think is beneath you. That you're deliberately and willingly waiting for something comfortable and enjoyable, that you're making yourself comfortable at the expense of others' struggles. More button-mashing the shame button, with added dose of obligatory gratitude to sister to put you in a mindset that your debt to her means you should do what she says now. Button-mashing the shame button again. [Citation needed]. Most of this letter is about how she cares about your family and how she is angry at you for what she perceives as you deliberately hurting them, and is full of the use of shame and beration to motivate you to change your ways. BASICALLY She feels pain on behalf of your mama/mommy/papa, as they are tired and hurting from work. She believes that you are deliberately and willingly doing less work than they in order to live a comfortable life at their expense. This angers her, and she's using hurtful words and emotional pressure and obligation in attempts to spur you into doing what she thinks you should. She adds threats that she wants to hurt you even more than that, and that you should feel fortunate she thinks she doesn't has the authority to do so.
@Chiomi Thank you, I know what she's doing and well, it doesn't make anything better. @swirlingflight Thank you for the breakdown. I just, I couldn't look it properly and parse it beyond ANGRY WORDS. I know my little sister has had issues with me not being able to look for/ find a job. But this is... its reprehensible really. She doesn't understand my ADHD and she doesnt care too and i think thats her biggest problem with this whole thing. She doesnt understand that my brainweird problems are what keep me from finding a job. She thinks its so easy because it was easy for her. I think i'm just gonna go to bed now because my mother is pissed at me again on top of this bull my sister sent me. Thanks again you two.