Anna Freud, the founder of child psychoanalysis, once said: “It is only when the feelings of the parents are ineffective or too ambivalent or when the emotions of the mother are temporarily engaged elsewhere that children feel lost" ("Anna Freud"). In this case, the children, Romeo and Juliet, become lost and confused, leading to their ultimate death. Although they cannot live without each other, they cannot either live with each other, as they end up dying together due to all the conflicts piling on each other. Since Romeo and Juliet have no parental influence in their lives, they don't know how to resolve their conflict of ill-fated love. Due to communication problems, conflicting views between parents and teenagers, and lack of involvement in their children's lives, Shakespeare shows through Romeo and Juliet that adults are ineffective in saving their children's lives. Due to communication problems, Romeo and Juliet's parents are not informed of their teenagers' conflicts, thus rendering them useless. An example of miscommunication between adults and teenagers is when Romeo locks himself in his room depressed. Lord Montague is deeply concerned about Romeo's secretive ways, saying that he is "to himself, so secret". Lord and Lady Montague want to "learn where his sorrows arise" so they can help him with his problems (Ii155-163). Because Romeo distances himself from his parents, not telling them that he is heartbroken by Rosaline, his parents do not know why he is angry. If he had told his parents about his recent heartbreak, the Montagues could have helped him solve the problem. However, this does not happen and parents end up being useless. While it is not the Montagues' fault that Romeo was not... middle of paper... an effective parent who had a great impact on his children's lives, the final fate of Romeo and Juliet could have been avoided. Just like Anna Freud's quote, "It is only when the parents' feelings are ineffective or too ambivalent or when the mother's emotions are temporarily engaged elsewhere that the children feel lost," the Montagues and Capulets are ineffective in helping their children with their problems. leading Romeo and Juliet to lose themselves in love and to their untimely deaths ("Anna Freud"). Works Cited "Anna Freud". Brainyquote.com. Xplore Inc, 2014. Web. March 3, 2014. “Family Life in Shakespeare's Time.” Shakespeare alive!. Bantam, 1988, p. 85-102. "Love and Marriage". Life in Elizabethan England. Elizabethan.org, March 25, 2008. Web. March 3, 2014. Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Evanston: McDougal Littell Inc, 1997. Print.