top of page
Search
Writer's pictureathinkingreedatr

[REVIEW] “Man and boy” by Tony Parsons - WHAT MAKES A GROWN MAN?

“Every father is a hero to his son. At least when they are too small to know any better.”

Harry Silver - in a vulnerable moment with a colleague - pushed himself into unemployment. Moreover, having to raise a child as his wife left, Harry was forced to fulfill both the roles of a father and a mother. He struggled with day-to-day life and had to do housework, which meant he was so busy that he had to take some days off so as to have time to take care of his child. Things became even more precarious when his beloved father died and his wife returned from Japan to gain custody of his son, Pat. And it seems that only when all the hardships in life come crashing down at once do we realize how strong we can be.

It was not until the father collapsed in the midst of a hurricane, turning his agony into tears that he learned what maturity truly was. I can still recall what Silver said: "I have learned fathering a child didn't truly make you adult. Does a man bury his father before he feels truly grown". Perhaps after that incident, Harry became much stronger as he was able to cope with difficulties and manage him in a life that was full of plays and pretense. He learned how to look after his son, though the boy's innocent sayings struck deeply into his heart the misery of his marital and family tragedy. Perhaps both Silver and his wife “little Gina” were wrong as had they listened better and thought more about their son, the child wouldn't have to say in sobs that “I want to live with both father and mother ''. But in the end, he understood that he had to learn to let go because “letting go is part of loving someone”. People learn how to forgive and save each other, and letting go made him a true father.

It was the first time that Silver actually fathomed his own words: “On the day you were born, I became the happiest man in the world. My life had nothing perfect remaining as you were the most perfect thing. I’m proud of you, my beautiful son.”

In this life, we must learn how to love in the right way, for in there lay the smiles as well as the tears. As long as we courageously move forward, there will be a vibrant dawn ahead of us.

_______________

Contact us:

7 views0 comments

Comments


Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page