Synthesis Essay Assignment “My Father Is a Simple Man” by Luis Omar Salinas and “A Secret Lost in the water” by Roch Carrier, explore different experiences and valuable inherence that they have learned from their fathers. Carrier’s protagonist who is motivated by a feeling of regret at not having learned from his father before his death. Conversely, Salinas’ speaker is motivated by a desire to pay respect to his father while he is still alive. At the end of “A Secret Lost in the water”, Carrier’s protagonist “has forgotten his father’s knowledge” (Carrier 36) which means he fails to inherit his father’s “sense of piety” (Carrier 35) and loses the way to find water. On the contrary, Salinas’ speaker still has very strong feelings of affection for his father, notwithstanding his poor treatment of his father while he was alive. The speaker “’d gladly give his life for his father” (Salina 21) because although his father is a “worker and provider” (Salina 30) with “a sixth grade education”, he is a …show more content…
“scholar” (Salina 24) who teaches the speaker how to distinguish between right and wrong. While both story and poem examine the experience with father, they are markedly different in what they get in the end.
With this intention, the title “A Secret Lost in the Water” is using symbolism. The secret represents the skills that his father teaches him and the gift that is vital to the relationship between father and son. They all lose in the “water” of the narrator’s life. Coupled with these sorrowful facts, Carrier depicts that “nowadays fathers can’t pass on anything to the next generation.”(Carrier 37) which points out children are no longer willing to accept the knowledge from their parents. Different from “A Secret Lost in the Water”, Salina’s speaker always remember that “when his father leaves without the benefit of fanfare or applause” (Salina 35), he still understands how “this little is about greatness” (Salina 37) which express his respect to his father. Inheriting what his father teaches him is the best way to memorize him and keep their
connection. In conclusion, although it can be said that both characters love their fathers very much, the father in “My father is a simple man” likely received much more satisfaction from his relationship with his son. That is why we need to value the time with our parents more so that we won’t leave regret when they pass away.
The relationship between a father and son stems from an unspoken competition in many countries. Whether it is a physical or mental rivalry the superior role slowly transcends on to the son as he grows into a man. In Brad Manning’s short story “Arm Wrestling With My Father,” and Itabari Njeri’s “When Morpheus Held Him,” both contain admiring sons and impassive fathers. Despite both stories similarities in unspoken emotions they differ in the aspect of their physical relationships. This unrequited bond between a father and son in these stories portray various types of love.
He always wants to help someone else in need before himself, whereas the father is only concerned about their own personal wellbeings. He “is the one” who worries about their ethical choices and wants to help a stranger in any way he can (259). McCarthy proves the importance of the boy’s spirit of love for other people when his dad dies and he must take the leap of faith to continue along the road with a new family. Despite all the corrupted people they encountered beforehand, the boy meets someone who is “carrying the fire” (129). This mantra by the father and son, symbolizes hope and humanity. The qualities Steinbeck labels for a writer to create in his writings can be summed up in “carrying the fire” since the two never did give up. It is the greatness of the heart and spirit Steinbeck notes that is “inside [them]. [And] [i]t [is] always there” (279). It is noteworthy that even in the midst of death and ashes, the two are able to hold onto their relationship and sanity. The “good guys” can continue to carry meaning and structure in their lives, even in a time where society turned into a battle to survive on the remnants of
...He is still anchored to his past and transmits the message that one makes their own choices and should be satisfied with their lives. Moreover, the story shows that one should not be extremely rigid and refuse to change their beliefs and that people should be willing to adapt to new customs in order to prevent isolation. Lastly, reader is able to understand that sacrifice is an important part of life and that nothing can be achieved without it. Boats are often used as symbols to represent a journey through life, and like a captain of a boat which is setting sail, the narrator feels that his journey is only just beginning and realizes that everyone is in charge of their own life. Despite the wind that can sometimes blow feverishly and the waves that may slow the journey, the boat should not change its course and is ultimately responsible for completing its voyage.
The poem is written in the father’s point of view; this gives insight of the father’s character and
Firstly, one’s identity is largely influenced by the dynamics of one’s relationship with their father throughout their childhood. These dynamics are often established through the various experiences that one shares with a father while growing up. In The Glass Castle and The Kite Runner, Jeannette and Amir have very different relationships with their fathers as children. However the experiences they share with these men undou...
The narrator faces an internal Man vs. Himself conflict in “A Secret Lost in the Water” when he realizes that he no longer remembers his father’s gift. “Somewhere along the roads I’d taken since the village of my childhood I had forgotten my father’s knowledge. ‘Don’t feel sorry… nowadays fathers can’t pass on anything to the next generation’” (Carrier, 96). This impacts the narrator because it gives him a sense of regret. Consequently, the statement made him feel like he, who is a father now himself, may not be able to pass down any of his knowledge to his kids. Although, this teaches him that it is important to hold onto certain knowledge passed down because it is the only way that it can be remembered and preserved.
“Those Winter Sundays” tells of Robert Hayden’s father and the cold mornings his father endures to keep his family warm in the winters. In “Digging” Heaney is sitting in the window watching his father do hard manual labor, which has taken a toll on his body. In “My Father as a Guitar” Espada goes to the doctors office with his father and is sitting in the office with his dad when the doctor tells him he has to take pain killers and to stop working because his body was growing old and weak. The authors of the poems all look at their fathers the same; they look at them with much respect and gratitude. All three poems tell of the hard work the dads have to do to keep their family fed and clothed. “The landlord, here a symbol of all the mainstream social institutions that hold authority over the working class” (Constantakis.) Espada’s father is growing old and his health is deteriorating quickly but his ability to stop working is not in his own hands, “I can’t the landlord won’t let me” (774.) “He is separated from the homeland, and his life in the United States is far from welcoming” (Constantakis.) Espada’s Grandmother dies in Puerto Rico and the family learns this by a lett...
“The Inheritance of My Father: A Story for Listening” comments on the issues of family ties, identity and belonging in relation to hybridization. Roemer’s purpose involves the highlighting of the relationship between finding one’s identity and finding one’s voice. He achieves this by allowing the readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery with the child narrator Bonkoro, who changes from a docile, almost voiceless “child” before the summer vacation to a renewed, confident and articulate “adult” at the end of her vacation. This short story is a unified and coherent production since several aspects of Roemer’s craft testify to the intimate interrelation of finding one’s identity and one’s voice. Roemer emphasizes the theme of self-discovery
Even though we believe there are so many happy things around us, these things are heartbreaking. The poems “Tips from My Father” by Carol Ann Davis, “Not Waving but Drowning” by Stevie Smith, and “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop convey the sorrow of growing up, of sorrowful pretending, and even of life itself. The poem “Tips from My Father” depicts an episode of the life of a father and his son. The pain from the childhood, the betraying of a lover, countless secrets are settling during the period of life, which can absolutely not be shared and understood by others.
Unlike his father, the boy recognizes that there is still good in the world. Between the boy maintaining his ability to love and to trust, there seems to be a chance for the regeneration of a wholesome society. The boy truly carries the fire in his heart, while the father carries nothing but a small dying flame that is only capable of loving his son. The boy can survive in this new world without his father, yet the father inability to pursue love and trust would cause him to die if his son
The boy comprehends the severity of the situations he is faced with, such as lack of food or water, and treats his father with the same respect and equality that the man gives him. He insists on sharing his portions with his father when they are uneven, and he remains cautious at all times, even when his father is not. The boy’s fire is fueled by his love for his father, which is shown by the boy’s priority on caring for his father’s wellbeing, just as the man does for him. This love and responsibility, manifesting in the form of self-sacrifice and compassion, lies in direct juxtaposition to the rest of the world, where selfishness and indifference reigns
Our documentary drama piece is on how migrants are unable to simply seek refuge here in Australia. Bertolt Brecht a German play writer has helped us achieve this goal as we have brought upon a range of techniques which teaches the audience to think and to remind themselves that what they have watched is theatre not real life. Important techniques which he uses include narration, song, use of placards and projection, simple staging, utilising sets, props and costumes and changing character. These help to break up the action the audience have witnesses and not become emotionally attached. Our group have incorporated these techniques into our play to create a powerful performance which raises the issue of migrants coming to Australia.
The Climatologists nightmare has come true in this 1995 movie written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. Waterworld, starring Kevin Costner and Jeanne Tripplehorn is a movie on post-apocalyptic Earth. The beginning of the movie it says showing a globe starting to, ‘The future. The polar ice caps have melted, covering the earth with water. Those who survived have adapted to the new world.’ This statement gives hope for humanities existence however adaptation is needed to living in a world of seemingly only water. In the first few minutes of the movie as Kevin Costner reconstitutes his urine to fresh water as it is pumped through a series of filters. Throughout, the movie it shows the dynamic views of a world without land or modern convenience.
The submerged state has been growing in recent history and has resulted in negative implications to American society. The “submerged state” is a term coined by Suzanne Mettler which describes federal policies that, by design, aren’t very visible to citizens. When the submerged state is referenced, it usually deals with social welfare policies. These social welfare policies are designed to reduce economic insecurity and inequality generated by capitalist markets and exist not only to provide assistance and services to the neediest individuals and families, but also to provide temporary assistance from job loss or injury, and to assure economic security in old age (Heerwig, 10/6). Some examples of social welfare policies are food stamps, veterans’ benefits, Medicare and Medicaid. Not all social welfare policies are submerged, but many are. Some examples of submerged social welfare policies consist of the home-mortgage interest deduction and exemption from taxes on employer-provided health and retirement benefits (Shannon, 1:54).
At first the relationship between a father and his son can be perceived as a simple companionship. However, this bond can potentially evolve into more of a dynamic fitting relationship. In The Road The Man and his son have to depend on one another because they each hold a piece of each other. The Man holds his sons sense of adulthood while the son posses his father’s innocence. This reliance between the father and son create a relationship where they need each other in order to stay alive. “The boy was all that stood between him and death.” (McCarthy 29) It is evident that without a reason to live, in this case his son, The Man has no motivation to continue living his life. It essentially proves how the boy needs his father to love and protect him, while the father needs the boy to fuel ...