Theinfluencethatmothersandfathershaveontheirchildreniscriticallyexploredin

ThisBoysLife.Discuss

Inthememoir,ThisBoysLife,TobiasWolffexpandsontheideathatfamilieshavestrong
influencesovertheirchildren.ThroughthecharactersofRosemary,Jack,Dwightandothers,
theselonglastingeffectsareclearlyoutlinedandexplored.Setinthe1950s,ThisBoysLife
raisesimportantquestionsaboutwhypeoplebehavethewaytheydo.Thetextalsoasks
whetherthehurdlesplacedbeforechildrenbythosearoundthemcaneverbefullyovercome.
Regardlessoftheanswer,Wolffpositstheideathatchildren,nomattertheirbackground,will
oftenproducefruitsintheirlivesaccordingtothetypesofsoiltheirfamilytreeswereplanted
in.

WolffcommentsontheimpactmothershaveininfluencingtheirchildrenthroughRosemary
andherrelationshipwithJack.RosemarymadetheworldseemfriendlyforJack.Shetook
himbythehandandtriedtoguidehimthroughtheworld.FromRosemary,Jackinheriteda
positiveoutlookonlife,andhewasoftencaughtupinherfreedom.ThroughthisWolff
impliesthattheroleoffamilyistocreatealovingenvironmentinwhichwecangrow.Wolff
alsohighlightsthefaultsinthisequation,andwhilstwemayallyearnforthis,itsnotalways
attainable.Rosemarysfathermadeastrongimpactonherownpersonality,evenasan
adult.Thehabitualabusehesubjectedhertoleftherwithsomemarks.Yet,asidefromher
positivequalities,Rosemaryalsopassedonnegativetraits,manyofwhichshecollectedfrom
herownfather.RosemarysinabilitytopunishJacklefthimwithoutboundariesanddiscipline,
andhercopingmechanismofrunningawaymadeJackslifeunstableandcomplex.
RosemaryandJacksrelationshipwasunique,withrolesofparentandchildoftenlosing
definitionandbecomingintertwined.Wolffchallengescommonstereotypesprevalentinthe
1950s,ofbothwomenbeingdependantandnuclearfamiliesbeingthebestandonlywayto
raiseachild.Jackneverhadaconstantfatherfigure,sotheideasofmasculinityhehadwere
dependantonsocietysviewsofmen.Rosemary,howeverwasalwaystheirforJack,ashis
onlyrealfamily.AndwhetherphysicallypresentorthroughJackspen,shewouldremain
forever.

Movingonfrommothers,Wolffdeeplyexplorestheimpactsoffatherfigureswithinsociety,in
particulartheeffectofsignificantadultsontheprotagonistJack.Fromtheverybeginningof
Jackslife,hehadtocopewiththeinconstantparentofhisfatherwhowasneveraroundto
helphimwithguidanceandsupportthroughtoughtimes.Jackgrowsupinalonelyreality
wherehewassubjecttofitsoffeeling(himself)unworthyasaresultoftheabandonmenthe
enduredearlyinhislife.Hemisseshisdadimmenselyandconstantlysearchesforsomeone
tolookupto.Also,asarepercussionofhisabsencehecanpicturehisfatherthewayhe
wantedtoseehim.Hemadehisfatheroutofdreamsandmemoriesandsawnofaultsin
him,creatinghiminamorepositiveway.Whenhisfirstchildisborn,however,Jackisfinally
abletorealisewhataterriblefatherhisownactuallywas.Wolffcondemnshowhisown
fathercouldhaveeverlefthimasachildanddecidestodoabsolutelyanythingtonottreathis

ownchildreninthesameway.Inotherwords,Wolffissuggestingthathewillalwaysbethere
forhischildrenwhentheyneedhim.Movingfromterriblecircumstancestoevenmoreharsh
conditions,Jackisthensubjectedtotheincrediblycruelandantagonisingfatherfigureof
DwightwhotreatsJacksoawfullythatheeventhinksofkillinghim.EachdayJackendures
horrifyingtreatmentatthehandsofhisnemesis.DwightactsasifJackdoesn'thavearight
tobeapartofthefamilyletalonetoexist.HeconstantlybulliedJack,strikingouttowards
himandevenslapped(his)faceforsimplyfailingtogetatinybitofmustardoutofajar.
Afteryearsofthisdreadfulabuseitwasnotatallsurprisingthatitdisfigured(him)andthis
resultedinJackandDwighthatingeachothersomuchthatotherfeelingsdidntgetenough
light.UltimatelythiswayoflifetookatollonJackandinfluencedhimtobecomemuchmore
selfreliantandtorejectDwightsunfavourableattributes.Intheend,Jacksuffersthroughthe
tormentingandlonelinessfromhisselfishfatherfigurestobecomethepersonheneedstobe
tosurviveinhisextremelytoughreality.Hedevelopsanamazingimaginationwhichheuses
toescapehisunhappylife.Herejectsthenegativecharacteristicsofhisfamilymembersin
ordertodevelophisownsenseofidentity.

Asidefrommothersandfathers,however,siblingsinThisBoysLifealsoplayanimportant
roleinshapingJacksidentity.JacksolderbrotherGeoffrey,withwhomhewasseparated,
actsasasurrogatefatherfigureforJackandhasadirectinfluenceonhimandhiswriting
ability.GeoffreyseesthepotentialpersonJackaspirestobeandencourageshimtopursue
hiswritingcareer.GeoffreysownsuccessinhisschoolandIvyleaguecollegelifemotivates
JacktoapplyforprepschoolsandGeoffreysbeliefinJacknurtureshisdreamsofsuccess.
JacksothermalesiblingstepbrotherSkipper,influencesJacksideasofmasculinityand
manhood.SkipperalsohasaninfluenceonJacksdreamsoffreedomandescapethrough
thembothworkingonrestoringhis1949Ford.WolffwritesthatDwightboughtthecarfor
Skippersohecouldtakegirlsoutandgohuntingandfishing,whicharetypicalactivitiesthat
representmasculinitythroughoutthe1950s.Skipperscaralsorepresentsasymbolfreedom
andescape,whicharetwoqualitiesJacklongsforwhilstlivinginChinook.Theprospectof
drivingdowntoMexicoridingshotgunbesideSkippermakesJackgiddywithexcitement
andpoisedforescape,evenifitisonlyforashorttime.WhilstlivingwithSkipper,Jacklearns
valuablelessonsaboutlifeandhetakestheseideasonboardwhenforminghisownidentity.
UponfirstmeetingNorma,hisfuturestepsister,Jackbecomesinfatuatedwithherandher
thickredhairandgreeneyes.JackissoobsessedwithNormathathebecomesjealousof
herbeingwithBobbytothepointthathepicturespunchingher,slappingher,callingher
names.FromthemomentJackmeetsNormaheseesthatshehasadesiretoescapefrom
ChinookandDwight,whichissomethingtheybothshareincommon.Normaeventuallydoes
findaformofescapebymarryingKenneth,andlivingwithhim.Normasescapedoes,ina
way,fuelJacksdesireforfreedombecausehehasseenthatitcanbedone.Throughhis
criticalexplorationoftherolesthatsiblingsplayinJackslife,Wolffinultimatelyarguingthat
allsiblingrelationshipstovariousdegreeshaveshapedJackintotheadulthefinally
becomes.

Whilstthememoir,setin1950spostwarAmerica,criticallyexplorestheinfluencethat
familieshaveontheirchildren,acritiqueofsocietyanditsunrealisticexpectationsoffamilies
duringthe1950sisalsoimportanttoenterinto.Thereasonforthisisbecausesocietyitself
setsupthestereotypeofwhataperfectfamilyisandthisidealthatcaninfluencechildrenas
muchastheirparentsactuallydo.DuringaturbulenttimeofantiCommunism,homophobia
andgreatfinancialdistress,manyAmericanfamilieslongedfortheAmericanDreaman
ideaofprosperityandhappinessencouragedbysocialpropaganda.Theseideaswere
focusedaroundachievingtheidealnuclearfamily,completewithwhitepicketfence,docile
wifeandbreadwinninghusband.Wolffchallengesthisirrationalnotion,asbelongingtoa
conventionalfamilydoesnotexistinnature.AsayoungboyJackyearnsforthissenseof
securityandbelongingandlikemanyotherpeoplebelievesthatbecausehisfamilydoesnot
consistofthoseideals,theyarethereforecastasuselessastheycantholdunderthe
pressureoftheseexpectationstoconform.Withmanyfamiliesstillsufferingfromthe
devastationoftheWorldWarII,thespectrumofaffluencewasbroadandvaried.Jack
experiencesunwelcomefeelingsofshameandpitywhenhestealsgasfromafamilywhois
neartheedgeofpovertyteeteringclosetotheedgewithlackoffinancesandsupport.
Wolffsconfrontationwiththisdefeatdreamallowsbothhimselfandthereadertorealise
thatittakesachildishimaginationtomakesymbolsofotherpeople.Althoughthe
influencethatfamilieshaveontheirchildrencanbebenevolent,negativeorperpetual,the
impactofsocietyspressuretoconformisamuchmoreoppressivepresence.

Childrenarethefinalfruitsthatgrowfromthetipsofthefamilytree.Somefruitsgrowsweet
andfullofjuice,whileothersrotfromtheinsideoutorareeatenbybirds.TobiasWolffclearly
displaysthisphenomenonthroughhismemoir,ThisBoysLife.Heshowstheinfluencea
mother,fatherorsiblingscanhaveongrowthofachildandhowtheseinfluencescanaffecta
personinanegativeorpositivemanner.Addedtothis,Wolffsuggeststhatsocietyitselfis
alsoatypeofparent.Thisisbecauseourideasoffamilyareactuallybasedonwidersocial
valuesthatwegenerallyholdtobetrueandimportant.ForJack,therefore,hisidentitywasa
strangeamalgamofparentalinfluence,siblinginputandconservative1950ssocietyvalues
valueshesometimesrejected.