Most novels have a good main character and even the bad ones have qualities that make them likable. This, however, is not the case with Larry Brown’s novel Father And Son. From the day Glen gets out of prison to the day he dies, his actions are despicable. Bobby on the other hand is a great contrast to this detestable character. Glen and Bobby are a great example of a major theme of this novel, good vs. evil. Other examples are Mary and Emma, and old and new Virgil. Emma raised Glen and his brothers along with Virgil while Mary had to raise Bobby alone. Emma was bitter about Mary and Bobby and possibly passed it on to Glen by saying things like, “That whore of his, that’s where he goes” (165). Not to mention the fact that this was said while …show more content…
The reader does not witness Virgil’s bad side but it is referenced. We know that Virgil was a drunk and left guns lying around the house which ultimately led to the death of Theron. He was a careless dad to his three kids and this is probably what made him change years later. In the book’s present we see how he cares for David and does all the things he should have done as a father. At the end of the book David is described as a “precious bundle” and it says, “[Virgil] held David close to him as if to protect him from any harm” (347). Maybe Virgil held David as the only connection left to his dead son or maybe because he was trying to protect him from being hurt by the world they live in. Virgil tried so hard to change and everybody could see he had changed except for Glen. Glen still remembered the man who was around when he was a kid, he still remembered the things his mother had said about his dad and him cheating on his mother even though her accusations were false. When Emma was still alive, Virgil did leave her alone a lot to go drink and do other things but, when she died he kept her clothes for a while. He used his own money to pay for the funeral and even though he had yet to put a headstone on her grave it wasn 't because he had spent the money on whiskey he simply hadn 't gotten around to it. Virgil fathered both Glen and Bobby and it seems as though Glen got Virgil’s bad while Bobby inherited his …show more content…
It is hard to imagine all the things he did in the five days he was out of prison. On his first day back, he saw Erline Price and saw how grown up she’d become. Later on they drink together and they go back to his place. The book says, “He did it slow long and hard and even when he saw that she was bleeding he kept on” (115). It takes a special kind of evil to do what he did. He was careful to not hurt her in a way that could be seen by other which is almost more damaging because it means that no one will no, nobody will ask where she got hurt, she has no reason to tell people because they will not ask and she will not tell unless they do. His actions where thought out and methodical, it didn 't happen in the heat of the moment. The only time he shows any decency is when he lets the fish go because it was pretty and it had never done anything to him. In five days he did hundreds of things and out of all of those this was the only good thing he did. Bobby on the other hand did no wrong in this book. He even let Byers have a moment with his dad. When he did become sheriff he even tried to give Glen as many chances as he could but it was useless. Bobby was everything Glen couldn 't be. It might be due to who they were both raised by but a person’s personality can only be affected a limited amount by environment. Bobby is the one who fixes what Glen ruins.
The love one has for their family causes one to do anything to keep them out of harm, including taking the role of mother/father. Henry Lawson creates an image in his readers’ mind of the protagonist and all that she does for her
Before meeting Gwen, he didn’t have a sense of identity. He has asked his father numerous of times about where he was born but his father kept changing the name of the places. Bobby’s mother died when he was young and he didn’t have her around to ask her these questions. Bobby really didn’t know who he was all his life. Even when he was taking in to prison, “[he’s] been documented, but even they’d had to make it up, take your name as much on faith as you. You have no social security number or birth certificate, no passport. You’ve never held a job” (651). Bobby feels that he doesn’t exist in this world and there’s no track of him on where he was born. How can someone live half of his life not knowing his real name is? His identity was living with his father’s identity by telling Bobby what to do when it comes to committing crimes. He doesn’t know what other things he could have done because this is all he knew. Bobby didn’t choose this life even though he was grown enough to make his own decisions. He felt that this is where he belongs and nowhere
Two people with two completely different characteristics have something alike. Both Dally and Johnny are mentally tough because of their parents. Johnny and Dally’s parents both do not care for them and could care less about them. For example, during Dally’s childhood he went to jail, been in a gang, and has been in many fights and his dad still would not care for him even if he won the lottery. Dally also talks about his dad's disgrace towards him in the car with Johnny and Ponyboy, “‘ Shoot, my dad don’t give a hang whether I’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in a gutter...’”(88). Dally could easily live without his dad and he does for the most part. Dally just hangs around with his friends and stays at their place. Similarly, Johnny's parents use him like a rag doll to blow off steam, “his father always beating him up”(14). The gang knows what happenes in Johnny’s house. Once Ponyboy was witnessing, “Johnny take a whipping with a two-by-four from his old man”(33). Ponyboy talks about how loud and mean Johnny's mom is and,“you can...
While the Aeneid does outline the future of Rome, it also highlights the pains of war, and also exposes his audience to a culture of violence, which they may be unfamiliar with. The act of balancing one’s duty towards others and his or her personal desires was a conflict that many people struggled with. By presenting the struggle between balancing inner desires and and personal responsibilities, Virgil offers his audience a framework that enhances their overall understanding of the poem.
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 essays Arm Wrestling with my Father and Shooting Dad explore the interesting relationship between father and child through the narrator’s emotions. The narrator in Arm Wrestling with my Father finds enjoyment in physical activity, but as time continues the same activity that brought him enjoyment, led to frustration. The narrator in Shooting Dad encounters a similar situation, but as both narrator’s age, they develop an understanding towards their fathers. The authors in Arm Wrestling with my Father and Shooting Dad use progression of time and the emotions: enjoyment, frustration and acceptance in the narrators: Brad Manning and Sarah Vowell to explore the rocky relationship between father and child.
...his father had acted the way he did, which caused him to be committed. He was facing the same experiences and the same side-effects his father once felt. However, faced with this dilemma between acceptance and equal power, Baldwin looks to the only man he can trust to help him, his father. He trusts his father because he knows that his father went through the same dilemma he is going through, he has seen the same affects in his father’s rage and hate. However, his father already passed away, and what help that could have been gathered from his father is gone; Baldwin can only piece together his memories of his father’s character and life and compare it to his own to see how the two are really alike.
The role of a father could be a difficult task when raising a son. The ideal relationship between father and son perhaps may be; the father sets the rules and the son obeys them respectfully. However it is quite difficult to balance a healthy relationship between father and son, because of what a father expects from his son. For instance in the narratives, “Death of a Salesman,” and “Fences” both Willy and Troy are fathers who have a difficult time in earning respect from their sons, and being a role model for them. Between, “Death of a Salesman,” and “Fences,” both protagonists, Willy and Troy both depict the role of a father in distinctive ways; however, in their struggle, Willy is the more sympathetic of the two.
...and how we perceive ideas about what writers are trying to get across. This story is a clear representation of family values and true inheritance.
The study of Juvenile delinquency and the theories pertaining to it are vital for several reasons. In order to more effectively engage with youths and foster positive behavior and schemas, the individuals must first be understood. The study of theory provides a means of understanding adolescents and the factors that lead to or detract from delinquent behavior. In the case of juvenile delinquent, Jordan Brown, theory helps to provide insight into why an eleven-year-old boy murdered his stepmother.
story as the corruption of evil takes a prominent role in the story of the two children. The
"Two Kinds" is a powerful example of differing personalities causing struggles between parent and child. In every parent-child relationship, there are occurrences in which the parent places expectations on the child. Some children fall victim to a parent trying too hard or placing expectations too high, or, in the case of "Two Kinds," a parent trying to live her life through that of her child. However, the mother is also a victim in that she succumbs to her own foolish dream that "you could be anything you wanted to be in America." Knowing that her own time has passed, she wants her daughter to succeed by any means necessary, but she never stops to think of what her daughter might want. She strictly adheres to her plan, and her overbearing parenting only leaves the daughter with feelings of disapproval and questions of self-worth. The mother does not realize the controversy that she creates, and she cannot understand that her actions could be wrong. She also does not realize that she is hurting not only her daughter, but also the relationship that should bind the two of them ...
In addition, the overall theme of the poem highlighted morality, which was a definitive tenet of Greco Roman civilization. In many ways, Virgil wrote the poem as a means of lauding the moral virtues of Roman society and as a personal challenge to outdo Homer’s epic compositions, The Illiad and The Odyssey. Virgil was successful because he had incorporated many of the same tales shared in the works of Homer into one epic poem which presented a linear storyline in the books that detailed the life and times of Aeneas and the Trojans. That being said, Virgil did not stray far from the approach that many writers had used before him; his primary focus throughout the Aeneid was placed squarely upon the back of idealized Greek and Roman moral principles, which were the dedication to ones’ honor, family, and country. By no means is there anything wrong with this approach, but in many ways, the entire poem could be viewed as a “propaganda” piece; while it might have served to enlighten, educate, and create a cohesive and uplifting story for the Roman populace, the poem lacked depth and a more profound exploration of human intricacies. While Virgil’s epic poem has stood the test of time and remains one of the greatest pieces
The father’s character begins to develop with the boy’s memory of an outing to a nightclub to see the jazz legend, Thelonius Monk. This is the first sign of the father’s unreliability and how the boy’s first recollection of a visitation with him was a dissatisfaction to his mother. The second sign of the father’s lack of responsibility appears again when he wanted to keep taking the boy down the snowy slopes even though he was pushing the time constraints put on his visitation with his son. He knew he was supposed to have the boy back with his mother in time for Christmas Eve dinner. Instead, the father wanted to be adventurous with his son and keep taking him down the slopes for one last run. When that one last run turned into several more, the father realized he was now pushing the time limits of his visit. Even though he thought he was going to get him home, he was met with a highway patrol’s blockade of the now closed road that led home.
Adam, a corporal officer, starts as man who works everyday to catch the ‘villains’ of society, but is not spending enough time with his family, especially his son. He favors his nine year old daughter over his fifteen year old son. Adam views his daughter as a sweet child, and his son as a stubborn teenager who is going through a rebellious stage. However, when his daughter is killed in an accident, his perspective of family changes. In his grief, he states that he wishes he had been a better father. His wife reminds him that he still is a father and he realizes that he still has a chance with his son, Dylan. After his Daughter’s death, he creates a resolution from scriptures that states how he will be a better father. Because of the resolution he creates, he opens up to and spends more time with his son. By th...