The most prominent tension is presented between the older and younger generations. There is tension between Mr Birling and Eric throughout the play but their relationship is shown best in an exchange after Mr Birling discovers Eric is a thief, a drunkard and responsible for fathering Eva’s child ‘You damned fool – why didn’t you come to me when you found yourself in this mess’. Eric’s reply that his father was not ‘the kind of chap a man could turn to when he’s in trouble’ indicates that there is some connection missing between them, which has been harmed by tension. Mr Birling is portrayed as a neglectful and unapproachable father who would have used his position to prevent a family scandal rather than show sympathy for his son who is clearly unhappy with no direction in life. His treatment of Eric has led to Eric’s downfall so that ironically his earlier words that a man has to look after himself and his own seem hollow.
Angela’s Ashes shows the reader how an addiction can wreak havoc on a family, especially when that family has little to begin with. Frank tells this story of hardships due to his father’s alcoholism and how his family was able to survive in the twentieth century in both The United States of America and in Ireland. Malachy’s drinking problem really hindered the McCourt’s potential to succeed and should never have been there at all. Addiction is one of the worst things that can happen to a
Roy, like Dwight, influences Toby’s relationship with his mother and forces Toby to withhold the truth from her. Toby goes on to resent this control and deception and rebel against it. Toby’s skewed perception of masculinity is similarly impacted by his father’s ‘desertion’. Whilst Wolff’s discussion of his father’s neglect is minimal, a deeper impact and lesson of real value becomes evident in Wolff’s snapshot of himself as a father. It is, in part, because of his father’s ‘inconstant parent(ing)’ that Wolff feels such a
His parents actions when he was young left him with the idea that love and relationships are horrible and all it does is hurt us, he felt as if it’s not worth going through the pain and stress. He only saw the bad sides of love, and because of that, he kept himself from everyone; he never realised the good sides of love until later on in his life. Another main contrast between the two poems, is guilt. In both poems the poets both feel guilt, but in different ways. Harrison, who had a good and loving family life, felt guilty about the way he treated his father when mourning.
For many years authors have brilliantly incorporated the theme of sorrow and disempowerment as a consequence of the actions of others. Authors depict the reality of others doubt in people, even their family members, through their brutal and trust lacking actions. Through the short stories “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro, “Brother Dear” by Bernice Friensen and “A Cap for Steve” written by Morley Callaghan the aspirations and desires of the main characters are not accepted by their fathers and also rejected by a more powerful authority. Not only are the characters not accepted but also relatives are thought to be more advantageous than then the key characters and although one character does not have a sibling, money overpowered his importance. Lastly, the fathers expectations of two characters does not align with the mothers, yet in one piece of literature the mother expected exactly what the father wished.
Every time Chief witnessed his father drinking, he did not see his father “suck out of it, it sucked out of him” (Kesey 189). This made him lose faith not only in the power of his father, but himself as well. Given that Randle Patrick McMurphy, a fellow patient, helped Chief bring himself back to his tall and powerful self, it is clear why he would be biased towards McMurphy. Chief’s time on the ward had become so traumatic to him; he believed that the ward was “a factory for the
This is one of the exceptions that show up in This Boy’s Life. Jack is having a hard time respecting Dwight because of the lack of respect Dwight shows him. Dwight was known to often physically abuse Jack, “I shouted his name, but he kept hitting me in a fast convulsive rhythm and I knew he was beyond all hearing.” (Page 177) A relationship that involves physical abuse is typically not the best relationship to have between a father and a son. Jack’s situation can be compared with the situation that Hamlet is in when it comes to being treated with respect. Like Jack, Hamlet loved his father and then lost him, resulting in a new father figure to replace the old.
These outsiders serve mainly to be scorned by the “higher” members of society, and to make those “insiders” feel better about themselves. The character that is most easily recognizable as an outsider in The Bluest Eye is Pecola Breedlove, but her father, Cholly, who has had his own experiences with self-hatred, initially establishes her self-hatred and status as an outsider. The beginning of this vicious cycle takes place during Cholly’s adolescence. The origin of his self-hatred is his first sexual experience, which is interrupted by two white men catching he and Darlene in the act. Though Cholly was humiliated by the white men, “he hated the one who had created the situation, the one who bore witness to his failure, his impotence” (151).
Christopher and his family - Christopher's parents are presented as flawed characters and their relationship with Christopher brings to light their hang-ups, fears and inadequacies. As the world is described through Christopher's eyes the responder is not initially aware of the level of stress associated with caring for him. The experiences of living with Christopher, such as night walking, food fastidiousness and reactions to being touched and over-stimulated, are gradually revealed. The pressures placed on parenting Christopher with his individual needs overstrain Christopher's father. He attempts to protect Christopher through lies that, when uncovered, seriously undermine their relationship.
Through the course of this essay I will discuss how J.B Priestly portrays tension at the heart of the Birling family in An Inspector Calls. First of all, in the opening stage directions the house is illustrated as “cosy and homelike” which reflects the cold and uninviting atmosphere within the Birling household and these characteristics mirror the family itself. Additionally, tension also forms between younger and older generation when Sheila claims that she would hate Gerald to end up like “one of those purple-faced old men”. This firstly indicates a clear gap between the two generations and secondly it shows that because the Birling’s are upper class, they are extremely judgement and label agitated old men as ‘purple faced’. Moreover, Priestly illustrates the lighting in the Birling household as “pink and intimate” which normally symbolises a happy and relaxed atmosphere, however this does not fit with the real feelings of tension and the lighting could be used to hide the true feelings of the family as it would not be deemed acceptable for an upper-class family to bring up tension and family issues.