What A Dad

Starting this story, I thought it had a great title "Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice," (other than the fact that it used tons "ands") but had no idea what to expect. Right of the bat, though, the reader realizes that the relationship between father and son is strained because of their initial greeting towards one another. Also by the statement that the narrator made saying, "He had a bait of speaking in Vietnamese proverbs, I had long learned to ignore it" (4). This definitely made me laugh because it made me think of all the things my dad says to me that I now simply ignore. Like every single time I would leave the house he would tell me to, "Drive safely," like I'm purposefully going to be reckless behind the wheel. Or in front of my friends, every time he sends me off he says, "Don't do drugs. Stay in school." And of course all my friends think it's hilarious, but after hearing it for the 1,000th time, I begin to just tune out.

The narrator's life seemed to be quite interesting. That he grew up in an EXTREMELY strict household, and even though his father seems like a sweet man in the beginning of this story, he was like a drill sergeant in the narrator's youth. So much so that he moved out, his father separated his mother after he found out that she was supporting their son, and then basically by guilt he came back. I mean, what kind of person does this? Separates from his wife because she just loves her son??! It just appalling to me because I cannot imagine this ever happening in my house. Granted there were many times I felt like moving out because I used to get into major fights with my parents, but nothing as profound as this guy. My life seems like Easy Street compared to him. So then he goes on to become a lawyer, but stops that to become a writer...and I'm wondering who in their right mind would do that? (No offense Mr. Kudera). I just would think that life would be much easier practicing law vs. living from story to story never knowing where the money or your next idea is going to come from. But, maybe that's the exact thrill he was searching for. The unknown and the independence away from his upbringing.

The end of this story was quite shocking. I knew when the narrator read the note from his father that said," I am going for a walk. I have taken our story to read" (27) that something bad was going to happen. The narrator just wanted his father to be pleased with him, which is something so many children long for. I know that growing up that had everything to do with why I worked so heard in my academic endeavors. I just wanted the approval of my parents and for them to be proud of me, so, "He would be pleased with me" (27). But then the father does something unimaginable, "He stood with the tramp, both of them staring into the blazing gasoline drum. The smoke was thick, particulate. For a second I stopped breathing. I knew with sick certainty what he had done" (28). Why in the world would he had done this?? To me it makes completely no sense because, the narrator could just simply write the story again, although it might take a very long time, that doesn't mean that he couldn't remember the story. This act just seemed so completely cruel for a father to do to his son. I simply don't understand.