tim parrish blog

“And at that moment I hated him, for hitting me, for making bob go to war, for being an adult in a place that made no sense. But mostly I hated him for being week in the way a child sees weakness, hated him for being unable to solve complexity with a single gesture, hated him because when he held Mr. Ramos I’d seen the limitations of his strength.”

             This quote has multiple meanings. There is the meaning that this quote has in general, the meaning of this quote for this particular part of the story, and the meaning this quote has in the grand scheme of the story. In general to hate someone because they are acting like an adult shows that the main character, like many other kids, doesn't want to grow up. The irony of this is that the main characters sense of strength is that of an adult. From the perspective of the main character solving a complex problem with a simple solution is the best way to do it, even if that means losing that sense of pride that many adults carry with them. In his eyes this makes him weak as an adult.

            As and adult the characters father makes many decisions that are questionable. He hits his child, and he doesn't try to convince his other son to stay home from Vietnam. This quote is important because it sums up what the main character has been thinking and leading up to the entire time. And it is written in such a formulated way that this is probably exactly how the kid felt, but could a kid in real life articulate his thoughts like this.

            In the grand scheme of the story I think that this quote goes a long way in helping the reader find meaning. For most of the story I didn't have a sense of what the point of all this was going to be until I read this line. This line highlights the limitations that adults have when faced with tough decisions. Sometimes it is easier to think like a kid when deciding something important.