Comparing Father And Son Relationships In Fences And The Namesake

As George Eliot said, “It’s a father’s duty to give his sons a fine chance.” Father and son relationships are seen all over the world, and are apart of many families. Some relationships are picture perfect, while others are a complete train reck. Father and sons can get along like two peas in a pod, or like fire and water. Father and son relationships are explored in both “Fences,” by August Wilson, and The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri. The relationship between father and son change dramatically throughout these literary works. The father and son relationship in both of these writing are both similar and different in several ways. Both fathers live in their past and stop their sons from getting a chance to live a life they want to live.

Father

and son relationships are a huge part of both “Fences,” and Namesake. The Maxson family is an African American family living in Pittsburg. The Ganguli family is an Indian family living in America. Troy Maxson is a father of two sons, Lyons, and Cory. Lyons is from Troys first marriage, and Cory is from Troys current marriage. Ashoke Ganguli is a father of Gogol Ganguli, alongside his wife Ashima. Ashoke is from India, and Gogol was born in America. In both pieces of literary work we learn a lot about the lives of the fathers which reflect their relationships with their sons.
The relationships with Troy and his sons throughout “Fences,” are burdensome.

Troy is very stern with his sons. He doesn’t always support them, especially with the actions they want to take in their lives. Not being a supportive father causes his sons to turn against Troy, and they lose the connection with him. Lyons, Troys eldest son from his previous marriage, is a talented Jazz musician. Troy wasn't apart of Lyons life the entire time, he was in jail. When released from jail he met Rose while pursuing a baseball career. Lyons often comes over to ask his father for money because he isn't making much money while being a musician. Cory, a teenage boy, is the son of Troy, and his wife Rose. Cory is a high school boy, who is a talented football player. Troy doesn't support his son in football, he continues to push Corey away until he enters the Marines. While away in the service Troy dies, Cory comes home to attend his fathers funeral. Throughout “Fences,” we about the relationship Troy didn’t have with his father. The relationship that he had with his father is very similar to the relationship with his

sons.
Throughout “Fences,” we learn a lot about Troys relationship with his father. Troys relationship with his father ended too soon, he left home at the age of fourteen. They had abusive relationship. Not having a relationship with his father seems to reflect his relationship with his sons. A study by , psychologytoday.com is about boys raised without a father and came to conclusion, “One study went so far as to claim that fatherlessness permanently alters brain structure, causing higher levels of aggression and anger in children” (psychologytoday.com). This study can easily reflect on why Troy treats his sons they way he does. Troy only had a father the first fourteen years of his life. Throughout the play we learn that Troy tends to be and angry and aggressive person, especially towards his son Cory. This study could also reflect his relationship with Lyons. Lyons calls his father out, “You can’t change me, Pop. I’m thirty-four years old. If you wanted to change me, you should’ve been there when I was growing up” (898). Lyon points out that Troy wasn't a father to him as a child and wasn't there to guide him in the right direction. Lyon went about a career choice his father doesn't agree with. Their relationship could have been drastically different if Troy was there to raise his child, instead he was in prison for murder. Troy not being their for a big part of Lyons life can easily reflect the anger Lyon has towards his father. Troys relationship with Lyons isn't the only hurt father son relationship in the play.
Verbal and physical abuse were both seen in Troy and Cory’s relationship. Cory was trying to pursue a dream of being a football player. He was a very talented boy once it came to being in class, and out on the field. We learn that Troy hadn't succeed at being a baseball player, and doesn't want the same thing to happen to his son. Tension grows throughout the play between Cory and Troy. As their relationship over time grows weaker Cory beings to realize his father isn't going to support him. He calls out troy, “You ain’t never done nothing but hold me back. Afraid I was gonna be better than you. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you.” Troy failed several times throughout his life, and that reflects a lot of his actions in life. Cory isn't happy with his father because he wont support him in his dream of being a football player. Cory comes to realization that his father is afraid his own son will live his dream, and is doing anything to stop that. Psychologist Carl E Pickhardt Ph.d. writes an articles about when parents envy their adolescents, he comes to conclusion, “Rather than feeling ashamed when envying their adolescent, parents are better off accepting what envy truly is about - an expression of something they missed, something they regret, or something they have lost.” This type of envy is seen throughout Fences. Troy does anything to stop his son from living his dream, it gets to the point where they get physical, Cory leaves, joins the Marines, and never sees his father again.
Throughout the play “Fences,” by August Wilson, Troy Maxson has bumpy relationships with his sons.

Lyons only comes around so often, and Cory gets pushed to the point where he leaves for the Marines. While away doing his service, Troy dies. Cory comes home to see his family for his father funeral, he says he wont be attending the funeral. His mother Rose reminds him, “Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn't...and at the same time he tried to make you into everything he was. I don't know if he was right or wrong...but I do know he meant to do more good than he meant to do harm.” Rose wants Cory to attend his father funeral even though Cory really doesn't want to. Cory gets this guilt once he talks to his mother, and makes the decision to attend his fathers funeral. Throughout the play Troys actions towards his son affiliates back to his past. His past stops him from letting his sons take chances in life that they want

to.
The relationship with Ashoke, and Gogol is different and similar to Troy and his sons. Ashoke isn't always supportive of his son and his actions with his American lifestyle. Gogol isn't like his parents, his parents are very traditional to their Bengali culture, and Gogol is very Americanized. Gogol was named from his father, and a story that saved his life during a tragic event that happened in his life. Gogol doesn't like his name Nikhil, and legally changes it to Gogol when he turns eighteen. Gogol moves away and goes to school to get an education, and lives an Americanized life. His father dies while he is gone. Their cultural gap separates them, and effects their father son relationship.
The past of Ashoke is a big part of Gogols life. Ashoke had been in a life scaring train reck that changed his life. The birth of his son was another life changing event. While holding Gogol for the first time Ashoke states, “Being rescued from that shattered train had been the first miracle of his life. But here, now, reposing in his arms, weighing next to nothing but changing everything, is the second”(24). The birth of Gogal was a life changing event, he names his son after the even of the train reck. Ashoke has a tragic past that he doesn't tell his son about until he is away in college. Gogol learns about where his names comes from and asked his father, “Do I remind you go that night?” Ashoke responds, “You remind me of everything that followed” (124). Ashoke names his son after the author of the book he was reading while he nearly lost his life. He named his son after this book because he nearly lost his life, and wanted his son to live the life he nearly lost, and the book was a memory of that event. Psychologist Carl E Pickhardt Ph.d. writes an articles about when parents envy their adolescents, he comes to conclusion, “Rather than feeling ashamed when envying their adolescent, parents are better off accepting what envy truly is about - an expression of something they missed, something they regret, or something they have lost.” Gogols name is one of the reasons why he is so distant from his father. His name changes his life, it was a big part of his life even though he disliked it. He struggled with identity, and he became torn between cultures because of it. He changed his name to give himself another chance, another identity.
Ashoke, a traditional man, who has a distant relationship with his americanized son. These two have a distant relationship. Ashoke was born and raised in Calcutta, India, he was raised not to waste anything. While eating dinner one night, Ashoke tells Gogol, “Finish it, Gogol. At your age I ate tin” (55). This is one thing that brings Gogol and Ashoke apart. Ashoke was raised differently than Gogol, he was raised where wasting food wasn't an option, and you should cherish the food you get. Gogol is raised in America, where wasting food happens more often and it more of a normal thing. This memory stinks with Gogol for a very long time. His father dies, and he goes to clean out his Ashokes’ apartment. While cleaning out his fridge he has guilt while throwing away the food he father had bought. This guilt carries on with him and the relationship he had with his father.
Father and son relationships are explored in literary works, “Fences,” and The Namesake. Troy Maxson and Ashoke Ganguli both have rough and tragic past that really reflect their relationships with their sons. Their history stops them from having a strong relationship with their sons. The fathers of these sons try to stop their sons from living their lives by not supporting them one way or another. Research shows a lot about father son relationships. Fathers without fathers tend not to be aggressive and angry, and Troy shows that. Parents tend to stop their children from living their lives through envy. Troy and Ashoke both stop their sons from getting chances in life, they stop their sons from living a normal life that they want to live.