Father And Son In Fences And The Parable Of The Prodigal Son
Natalie Vargas
Dr. Meeks
English 102
20 March 2013
The Relationship Between Father and Son in Fences and The Parable of the Prodigal Son
In any relationship between a parent and a child, communication plays a significant role. To keep the family dynamics stable the verbal interaction amongst parent and child must take place. The ability to understand one another is what holds a relationship together. Sometimes these strong relationships can cause conflicts and grief, as depicted in The Parable of the Prodigal Son by Luke and Fences by August Wilson. In both these stories, the father and their two sons struggle to comply with each other. Both authors utilize the past, present, and future expectation of what a parent hopes their son to become. …show more content…
It is evident that in the prodigal, the father demonstrates more compassion towards his younger son. The pity he feels for his younger son causes him to be more open to his son’s mistakes. Like in Fences, Troy is more understanding to Lyons and his musical career than Cory’s football career. Although he is hesitant to demonstrate his absolute support, he tries to supplement his support with money. All Troy contributes to Lyons 's life is the occasional ten dollars that Lyons receives from Troy 's pay (834). Troy was never much of a father to Lyons because he was in prison (829). Knowing that he was barely a part of Lyons childhood causes Troy to be more sympathetic towards his older son (834). As for the father in the parable he understands that his younger son is lost. The obligation a father has towards his son is to lead him to a prosperous path. Because the father sees that his older son is smart with a bright future he shows little acknowledgement towards him (Luke, 30). As described in paragraph 28, verse 30, the older brother tells his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been …show more content…
"The Prodigal Son Parable and Maclean 's A River Runs through It." Renascence 58.2 (Winter 2005): 165-175. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 136. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature Resource Center. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Ginott, G. Dr. Haim. Between Parent and Child: The Bestselling Classic That Revolutionized Parent-Child Communication. 1965. Ed. Alice Ginott and H. Wallace Goddard. New York: Three Rivers, 2003. Print.
Kenney, W. P. “Fences By: Kenney, W. P., Masterplots II: African American Literature, Revised Edition.” (1985): n.pag. Literary Reference Center. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Mallery, Bruce. “The Relationship Between Parents and Children Understanding the True Desires of Your Children.” Snitruth.org. n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
New International Version. “The Parable of the Lost Son.” BibleGateway.com. NIV. 2011. Web. 19 Marc. 2013
Wilson August. Fences. A Little Literature. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. New York: Longman, 2007. 827-78.
Dr. Meeks
English 102
20 March 2013
The Relationship Between Father and Son in Fences and The Parable of the Prodigal Son
In any relationship between a parent and a child, communication plays a significant role. To keep the family dynamics stable the verbal interaction amongst parent and child must take place. The ability to understand one another is what holds a relationship together. Sometimes these strong relationships can cause conflicts and grief, as depicted in The Parable of the Prodigal Son by Luke and Fences by August Wilson. In both these stories, the father and their two sons struggle to comply with each other. Both authors utilize the past, present, and future expectation of what a parent hopes their son to become. …show more content…
It is evident that in the prodigal, the father demonstrates more compassion towards his younger son. The pity he feels for his younger son causes him to be more open to his son’s mistakes. Like in Fences, Troy is more understanding to Lyons and his musical career than Cory’s football career. Although he is hesitant to demonstrate his absolute support, he tries to supplement his support with money. All Troy contributes to Lyons 's life is the occasional ten dollars that Lyons receives from Troy 's pay (834). Troy was never much of a father to Lyons because he was in prison (829). Knowing that he was barely a part of Lyons childhood causes Troy to be more sympathetic towards his older son (834). As for the father in the parable he understands that his younger son is lost. The obligation a father has towards his son is to lead him to a prosperous path. Because the father sees that his older son is smart with a bright future he shows little acknowledgement towards him (Luke, 30). As described in paragraph 28, verse 30, the older brother tells his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been …show more content…
"The Prodigal Son Parable and Maclean 's A River Runs through It." Renascence 58.2 (Winter 2005): 165-175. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 136. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature Resource Center. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Ginott, G. Dr. Haim. Between Parent and Child: The Bestselling Classic That Revolutionized Parent-Child Communication. 1965. Ed. Alice Ginott and H. Wallace Goddard. New York: Three Rivers, 2003. Print.
Kenney, W. P. “Fences By: Kenney, W. P., Masterplots II: African American Literature, Revised Edition.” (1985): n.pag. Literary Reference Center. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Mallery, Bruce. “The Relationship Between Parents and Children Understanding the True Desires of Your Children.” Snitruth.org. n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
New International Version. “The Parable of the Lost Son.” BibleGateway.com. NIV. 2011. Web. 19 Marc. 2013
Wilson August. Fences. A Little Literature. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. New York: Longman, 2007. 827-78.