A controversial discussion about child neglect has arisen among many writers, scholars, and social workers. This discussion led many individuals to bring up certain details to defend their position. Child neglect has become a topic of discussion for many due to the specificity of its long-term effects on children. Many indigenous people say that child neglect can be forgotten over time, while others believe that child neglect can never be forgotten and can create frightening and dramatic trauma for the child's future. child. What has not been addressed is the physical and emotional pain caused by neglect in a child. Among these individuals, some express their opinions in writing in addition to entering the discussion verbally. However, the only way to truly understand the emotional aspect of child neglect would be from the perspective of those who have been neglected themselves or those who have witnessed it. What is the true definition of child neglect and what emotions does the child go through afterwards? The contemporary cultural issue of child neglect can be analyzed with the works of Sylvia Plath's "Daddy" and Joyce Carol Oates's "When I Was A Little Girl and My Mother Didn't Want Me", to unveil the true definition of child neglect and the lifelong effect of emotional scars left by neglect. These works introduce readers to the negative impacts of emotional neglect of children and how their invisible character scars can be identified by others. The actual definition of child neglect is difficult to verify because it depends on the situation. To me, child neglect is the rejection or absence of a parental figure for a child. "According to the United States Department of Health... middle of article......Fall 1994): 223-235. Rep. In Poetic Criticism. Ed. Élisabeth Gellert. Vol. 37. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. Internet Resource Center. April 14, 1014. Horwath, Janet Anne. Understanding Joyce Carol Oates. University of South Carolina Press, 1987. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 52. Detroit: Gale Research. Documentaries. Internet. April 16, 2014. TANG, CONNIE M. “Working Toward a Conceptual Definition of Child Neglect.” Journal of Health and Human Services Administration 3 (2008): 356. JSTOR Arts & Sciences. X. Web. April 17, 2014. Tuhy, Carrie. “I Just Say ‘Yes’: Joyce Carol Oates.” PublishersWeekly.com, February 13, 2013. April 24.. 2014.