The family in Joyce Carol Oates' short stories is significant as it serves as a canvas for exploring human nature. It shows how people behave and react within a familiar and often intimate setting. Family can be a place where one's true self is either nurtured or stifled.
In Oates' short stories, family is important because it reflects broader social issues. A dysfunctional family might represent the flaws in society at large. For example, if there is abuse within a family in her story, it could be seen as a comment on the lack of support or the presence of violence in society. Families also pass on values, and Oates examines how these values can be both positive and negative forces within the family and in society.