Fatherly Love

It is at this point in the book where you begin to see a couple of the sources which cause Tommy`s unsatisfactory view of life. Most of them are in his own family. His wife Margaret, for example, doesn’t love him, and takes advantage of him by asking for large amounts of money to support their children. His feelings towards this are kept inside, simply accumulating until the point where Tommy might end up having a nervous breakdown. It is not his wife though, which causes the most remorse, but his father. Every son looks for the approval of their father, which normally requires hard work to attain. Although Tommy hadn`t really done much with his life, he still sought love from his dad, which was rarely granted. Dr. Alder (Tommy`s dad), is basically ashamed of what his son`s life has come to. He had accomplished great things during his day, and was very well known in the hotel Astoria. He hated to ruin his perfect image because of his unsuccessful son. Although Tommy appeared to view this situation as a lost case, deep inside he still wanted that father-son relationship which all happy families possessed. This makes me realize how serious bad parenting can be for a child. If only Dr. Alder had supported his son in the decisions he made, then Tommy would have probably developed more security and determination to succeed in life. Bellow gives several well described instances which perfectly show Tommy`s feelings towards his father. In chapter two, he writes the following, “Not long ago, his father had said to him in his usual affable, pleasant way, “Well, Wilky, here we are under the same roof again, after all these years.” Wilhelm was glad for an instant. At last they would talk over old times. But he was also on guard against insinuations. Wasn`t his father saying, “Why are you here in a hotel with me and not at home in Brooklyn with your wife and boys? You`re neither a widower or a bachelor. You have brought me all your confusions. What do you expect me to do with them?” ”(pg. 24). As you can see, Tommy is skeptical with every remark his father says. At the beginning of the quotation you can sense his desperate need to have a normal conversation with his dad. Once he begins to think about it though, he turns a perfectly normal and friendly statement, into a negative insinuation.