This Boy’s Life Shows Us the Importance of Family, Even If the Family Is Constantly Changing

English Text Response: This Boy’s Life

‘This Boy’s Life shows us the importance of family, even if the family is constantly changing. Discuss

This Boy’s life is a candid and Self-demeaning memoir authored by Tobias Wolff, set in the era of post war 1950s America. The American society prominent during this era idolizes the idea of the so called ‘American Dream’ which was sought by many; including Jack and his mother, Rosemary. In This Boy’s Life, Wolff explores the significance of a family that is both conventional and constantly changing, as they are pivotal in the formation of his identity, providing appropriate role models and establishing a nurturing and accepting family environment. There are several prominent individuals including his mother, Rosemary who influences the formation of Jack’s identity. The lack of positive adult figures specifically male role models in Jack’s childhood and the failure to create an accepting environment where Jack can thrive showcases the importance of family. Wolff adopts the writing style of dirty realism in attempt to provide a necessary correction to the nostalgia commonly associated with the fifties as a golden era. Through his candid writing style, Wolff provides an account of the difficulties, Toby and Rosemary faced in trying to navigate their way through this confining and strongly patriarchal era.

The formation of Jack’s character and definition of himself during his childhood was closely influenced by his family. Rosemary, Jack’s ever optimistic and delusional mother, was the only reliable connection to his family during Wolff’s childhood. Rosemary’s attraction to men who use violence to assert their authority and power and the ensuing escape from them, is a factor that shape Jack’s personality as he adopts the tendency to flee from things that require hard work and effort. Like Jack, Rosemary never loses faith that her situation will improve, however tragic her circumstances, she remains confident that whatever hardship she is enduring will eventually pass by.  The absence of his father, Arthur Wolff in completing the ideal ‘conventional’ family urges Jack to fantasize in order to create an improved reality. Due to Rosemary’s desire for ‘transform’, Jack was left on his own and he is forced to shape his identity in the absence of the necessary parental guidance. However, Rosemary’s identity influences Jack to some extent, as he “was caught up” in his “mother’s freedom” and this had formed his desire for constant relocation, “we were excited by the ideal of travel”. Despite his potential to truly succeed at school and “get straight A’s”, Jack does not have the ability to do so, due to Rosemary’s tendency to quit when the going gets tough’ has an impact on his ability to succeed. Jack uses lies in attempt to escape his true identity, his “dreams of freedom” and ‘dominion’ leads him to the constant reinvention of his identity, as he presents himself as a ‘proud owner of a palomino horse’, ‘an academic’, a ‘boy of dignity’ and a ‘good boy’. The absence of his father in his life acts to create another opportunity for Jack to conjure up a man with ‘sterling qualities’ to replace his father. Nevertheless both family members, Arthur and Rosemary play a part in shaping the certain characteristics of Wolff’s identity.

Jack is failed not only by his members of his close family but also by some of the male figures in his life, whom are portrayed as broken, destructive and cruel people. One primary example of this is Roy, a ‘tattooed redneck’ and a very violent and possessive man who was considered part of his family for a short period of time. He has a passion for firearms and is the first to provide Jack a representation of ‘what a man should be’. Roy’s perceived masculinity ignited Jack’s fondness for guns which he had inherited. Although Roy perceived masculinity appealed to Toby, his personality is clearly flawed, he uses ‘threats and…brutality’ against Rosemary in order to intimidate her, but more importantly serves to remind us that men in 1950s American society often resort to violence and intimidation in order to demonstrate their power. Toby was forced to model his behaviour from an inadequate source which in tur had shaped a negative aspect of Toby’s personality-Guns. Furthermore it is the brutal and cruel Dwight, offended by’ Jack’s very own ‘existence’ and whose use of violence and constant humiliation appears to have enhanced Toby’s sense of right and wrong, as he defined himself ‘as the opposite’ to Dwight. Dwight sole intention was to degrade and defile everyone he can, especially Wolff, by Jack being supplied with an inconsistent role model, he had learnt the ‘fault in (a) father’, which as an adult, Wolff was able to avoid using this method of parenting employed by Dwight. The significance of a family is to assist in the provision of a proper and a positive role model, which Jack was deprived of, therefore diminishing his ability to model appropriate behaviour, which, as a result is evident in certain parts of Wolff’s memoir.

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