Analysis Of Tiny Smiling Daddy
JJournal Entry 1
I enjoyed reading Mary Gaitskill’s “Tiny, Smiling Daddy” because it elicited a strong emotional reaction from me, which is what I think any form of art should do. The protagonist of the story, the father, had an extremely abrasive attitude. He seemed irritable and the tone of the story made him sound conceited. I also found it odd how much the father cared about his daughter’s appearance. At some points he describes her as “skinny and ugly” and at other points he describes her as “beautiful and happy”. I had a cliché thought while reading these segments; aren’t parents supposed to believe that their children are always beautiful? Additionally, I feel that it should not matter to him if his daughter is conventionally beautiful or not.
Furthermore, I was irritated when the father was anxious and angry about his daughter potentially besmirching his name in a public article. In my opinion, if he did not want to face that wrath, then he should not have been so unaccepting of her sexuality. He says that he is a good father, but the story goes on to state that he kicked his daughter out because she is a lesbian. To me, he is not a good father or a good person. A good father would …show more content…
Someone stated that this story has a universal theme, regardless of ethnicity, race, or social class. The theme of the story is a father not accepting his daughter’s sexuality, which could happen to anybody. However, LGBT+ people of color face more discrimination due to their race and their sexuality. Culture is another element that could affect how somebody is treated due to their sexuality. In non-progressive countries, people who break the “status quo” by being LGBT+ often fear the consequences of coming out. Certain religions are additional proponents of a non-inclusive culture that can affect LGBT+ people in a negative
I enjoyed reading Mary Gaitskill’s “Tiny, Smiling Daddy” because it elicited a strong emotional reaction from me, which is what I think any form of art should do. The protagonist of the story, the father, had an extremely abrasive attitude. He seemed irritable and the tone of the story made him sound conceited. I also found it odd how much the father cared about his daughter’s appearance. At some points he describes her as “skinny and ugly” and at other points he describes her as “beautiful and happy”. I had a cliché thought while reading these segments; aren’t parents supposed to believe that their children are always beautiful? Additionally, I feel that it should not matter to him if his daughter is conventionally beautiful or not.
Furthermore, I was irritated when the father was anxious and angry about his daughter potentially besmirching his name in a public article. In my opinion, if he did not want to face that wrath, then he should not have been so unaccepting of her sexuality. He says that he is a good father, but the story goes on to state that he kicked his daughter out because she is a lesbian. To me, he is not a good father or a good person. A good father would …show more content…
Someone stated that this story has a universal theme, regardless of ethnicity, race, or social class. The theme of the story is a father not accepting his daughter’s sexuality, which could happen to anybody. However, LGBT+ people of color face more discrimination due to their race and their sexuality. Culture is another element that could affect how somebody is treated due to their sexuality. In non-progressive countries, people who break the “status quo” by being LGBT+ often fear the consequences of coming out. Certain religions are additional proponents of a non-inclusive culture that can affect LGBT+ people in a negative