Being A Good Father
Although the essay “My Father’s Son” and the poem “my father’s son” written by the same author, Mel Donalson and have similar titles, they have different ways to express the son’s feeling of his father’s character, merit and devotion to his family. Both essay and poem’s main ideas center around affection and father’s commitment to his family. However, the poem only describes the cold weather and the father’s image in his regular life style without expression of the author’s deep feeling. It is understandable that the poem mainly expresses the author’s naïve character during his childhood. On the other hand, the essay is more detail in describing the author’s different feelings from his journey from boyhood to manhood. Unlike the poem, Donalson focuses on his life’s experience and development with his changeable attitude to father: from ungratefulness and contempt to thankfulness and respect. Although both the poem and essay are different in form and narrator, they share the same elements and visual images to support the author’s message of respect between a father and son.
The author, Donalson, uses visual images in both the poem and essay to describe the respectable father whom the author had. He uses the word “gladiator” to describe his father. “Gladiator” literally means man trained to fight with weapons at public shows in an arena; however, it symbolizes his father’s courage and tolerance of hard-working environment. In the poem, the poet portrays his father as “dark and beautiful” and uses the phrases “broadness of his back,” and “a large dry hand” to describe his father. “Dark and beautiful” tells the reader that the author knows his father’s humble origin in the South but he still appreciates his father’s appearance. “Broadness of his back” shows his father is a strong and powerful man. All those merits of his father give reason that his father is a respectable man. In the essay, similar descriptions used to describe his father like “dark shadow moving against the white background,” “dark face hidden beneath a knit cap,” and “his giant steps.” Donalson emphasizes his father is a big and powerful man. His endurance and responsibility to his family really please the author. His father never did anything special besides “piling the Christmas gifts” and “covering the car insurance” to his son but he can still manage to endear himself to his family.
In contrast to the poem, Donalson uses limited omniscient narrator in his essay to reveal to the reader his deep feelings of respect to his father.
Throughout Brad Manning’s anecdote about arm wrestling he refers to his father as “the arm” or “the master with clenched fists.” The embodiment of his father in these empowered limbs shows the dominating figure once held over him. “Daddy,” was the only personal name Itabari Njeri’s father allowed him to say. If Njeri did not settle for “Daddy,” “Dr. Moreland” would have to due. There is a sterile and clinical connotation in referring one’s father as Doctor. Manning’s states,” the man would win,” also giving an impersonal and cold feeling to his “strong father.” But this impersonal name was not forced upon Manning as Njeri’s father had done. Manning’s “father-son” matches battling “arm against arm” was their only means of communication. Manning decodes his father’s crude “ritual,...
The characters and themes in these writings contrast and relate in several ways. The poem is told through the perspective of the grandfather’s grandchild, who cares for him, saying certain things remind them of him after he didn’t “live here anymore” by stating that their grandfather “is blankets and spoons and big brown shoes.” Like the grandfather in “Abuelito Who”, the grandfather in “The Old Grandfather” is old and it is stated that his legs “would not carry him” and his eyes “could not see”, which affected his family’s feelings towards him. The grandfather’s old age was viewed as a weakness, and he was not treated as an equal by his family, such as not being able to sit with them at the table for dinner.
The poem, A Story, is written in the third person point of view. Thereby, allowing the audience to grasp onto the sentimental emotions of the father. The story begins with the depiction of the father as a “sad...man who is asked
At a young age the narrator thrives off the excitement of wrestling with his father, not only from the thrill of competition but pride for having such a strong father figure. “This ritual of father-son competition in fact had started early in my life” (Kennedy 139). The author develops the narrator at a young age, showing his naivety and excitement in little things such as wrestling. Although the narrator would lose at arm wrestling he would: “…only giggle, happy to have such a strong father” (Kennedy 139). The narrator did not put much thought into wrestling with his father, he only saw it as bonding time. Since the narrator is still young, he accepts that this is the only level from which he would connect with his father, slowly though, his feelings begin to change. As the narrator beings to grow older he wouldn’t “…giggle anymore, at least not around my father” (Kennedy 139). The same activity that the narrator found enjoyment in was getting dull. He was expecting more from his father. The narrator and his father had reached a point in their relationship where the narrator was beginning to surpass his father. “Now my father is
Courage can be revealed in numerous ways, but it isn’t until one stands by their morals that true courage is expressed. Throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird,” many acts of true courage have been conveyed through the characters’ thoughts and actions of sticking by their morals. Harper Lee suggests that standing by one’s own morals is the truest form of courage.
The poem is written in the father’s point of view; this gives insight of the father’s character and
Family bonds are very important which can determine the ability for a family to get along. They can be between a mother and son, a father and son, or even a whole entire family itself. To some people anything can happen between them and their family relationship and they will get over it, but to others they may hold resentment. Throughout the poems Those Winter Sundays, My Papa’s Waltz, and The Ballad of Birmingham family bonds are tested greatly. In Those Winter Sundays the relationship being shown is between the father and son, with the way the son treats his father. My Papa’s Waltz shows the relationship between a father and son as well, but the son is being beaten by his father. In The Ballad of Birmingham the relationship shown is between
The poem told the story of a man who is inhibited by language, and has never quite had the ability to articulate his thoughts and feeling through words. It is said that his family members have tried
Courage exists in several forms in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. As defined by Atticus Finch, real courage "…when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (149). The novel explores the how this real courage can be shown in different ways through the lives of many characters in Maycomb, particularly, Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus. Their courage is evident through their lifestyle, actions, and beliefs.
There is no greater bond then a boy and his father, the significant importance of having a father through your young life can help mold you to who you want to become without having emotional distraught or the fear of being neglected. This poem shows the importance in between the lines of how much love is deeply rooted between these two. In a boys life he must look up to his father as a mentor and his best friend, the father teaches the son as much as he can throughout his experience in life and build a strong relationship along the way. As the boy grows up after learning everything his father has taught him, he can provide help for his father at his old-age if problems were to come up in each others
The story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan is about a mother and daughter who have strong conflicting ideas about what it means to have a sense of self. This may be partly due to the mother growing up in China, which is a very different culture than the American culture where endless opportunities are available to anyone who wants to pursue them. Jing-mei's mother wants her daughter to be the best, a prodigy of sorts, and to have the kind of life, full of hopes and dreams that she did not have. In the beginning of the story Jing-mei liked the idea of becoming a prodigy however, the prodigy in her became impatient. "If you don't hurry up and get me out of here, I'm disappearing for good." It warned. "And then you'll always be nothing" (500). After disappointing her mother several times Jing-mei started to detest the idea of becoming a prodigy. The idea Jing-mei's mother had for her to become a prodigy was too much pressure for a small child and was something that Jing-mei was clearly not ready to be. As a result the pressure that her mother laid upon her only made Jing-mei rebel against her mother and she resisted in giving her best. Jing-mei did this because she only wanted her mother's love and acceptance for who she was not only what she could become. Furthermore, Jing-mei's point of view of being the kind of person that one can be proud of was very different from her mother's point of view.
Based on her impulsive actions, and sudden fear of being abandoned by someone, she shows signs of borderline personality disorder. She also experienced unstable relationships with people (spoiler alert) like the man she was friends with and eventually killing him, framing him as a rapist and emotional abuser. Amy Dunne also experienced symptoms of Munchausen Syndrome. This syndrome is a mental disorder where a person repeatedly acts as if he/she is physically/mentally ill. In Gone girl, this is an ongoing issue for Amy Dunne. (spoiler alert) Not only does she paint the image that she is dead to her husband and family, but creating a new identity, and causing harm to herself and others. I rate this film a 4 out of 4 stars. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and kept me guessing even after seeing the
The father is developed mainly using symbolism through diction in the extract. The father is represented using diction that associates him with animal imagery, and displays him as being in control of the situation. The authors use
The relationship between a father and his son can be articulated as without a doubt the most significant relationship that a man can have throughout the duration of his life. To a further extent the relationship between a father and a son can be more than just a simple companionship. Just like a clown fish and a sea anemone, both father and son will rely on each other in order to survive the struggles of their everyday lives. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Gabriele Muccino’s The Pursuit of Happyness both depict a story between a father and son using each other as a means of survival when faced with adversity. When placed in a tough situation father and son must create a symbiotic relationship in order to survive. Upon the duo of father and son can creating a symbiotic relationship, it will result in a mutual dependency on each other. This theme of paternal love is omnipresent given the bond between the two characters.
There are many different things that I take into consideration when it comes to parenting. Parents have many different responsibilities but there are three in particular that I think are very important. Being a good role model is important, as well as listening to your children and disciplining them appropriately. If you want to be a good parent you have to put your kids first.