Fine Fly In The Ointment

As seen In the following lines: ” It was his father last day at his factory, the last day of thirty years”. This leads Harold to feel resentful of his father, but at the same time he tries to get closer, looking for a father figure, “I must see him”. But later, when he arrives the atmosphere becomes uncomfortable and their behaviors with each other are quite formal, as to business man talking not as father and son. As we can see in this lines “have a cup” “no thanks- said the son “l Just had tea”.

They are very polite teen each other; this shows us that they are very distant.

In Dalton we can notice that they don’t know very well each other, while in this conversation Harold discover lots of things about his father. As shown in this lines “The old man turned his head way. He actually wiped a tear from his eye. A glow of sympathy transported the younger man.

He felt as though a sun had risen”.

The author use the image of the sun to show us that the father had never showed emotions to his son, and this revelation Illuminates the son and he feels that there is hope for their relation now that his father Is available. But later when he offers his father money, he completely changes, showing other side of him, with anger, and this take completely the hope of Harold again. As seen in these lines “his warm voice going dead and rancorous and his nostrils fidgeting 3.

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Analyze what the son notices about the two faces of the father and what do you get to know about the nature of the father at the end of the story? Harold father shows throw the story that he is doubled faces, he shows one face at first and then other. Harold could notice this for the first time as he goes and visit his father to help him.

As seen In this lines “the son noticed for the first time that as all big- faced men his father had two faces and inner face and an outer face. The outer face like a soft warm and careless daub of innocent sealing-wax and inside it, as if thumbed there by a seal, was a much smaller one, babyish, shrewd, scared and hard. He changes personalities lots of times in the story, and his sons become aware of it, He looked decided and experienced like a man of forty, but now he softened to sixty greets his son shyly as if not having the courage to face his son. As this lines shows “Hullo, old chap. This is very nice of you, Harold”.

Said the old man shyly, stepping back to let his son in, and lowering his pleased, blue eyes for a seconds modesty. The father’s two faces are evident when he acts as if nothing had happened and that his bankruptcy was nothing as compared with the other businesses that had gone bankrupt. As seen in the following lines: “Worrying? You keep on using that word. I’m not worrying. Things are fine,” said the old man.

Smiling aggressively. ‘l feel they’re fine. I know they’re fine. ‘ we can notice that he is very arrogant and challenging. Then he starts regretting for the mistakes he have done all his life and sounds like a man ho has probably recognized his faults.

Also he mentioned that he would like to live in a nice little cottage by the sea and enjoy his life. This shows humility. He starts saying that money wasn’t everything in life, comparing himself with the children of Israel; this was very ironic and ridiculous. He put up a face without being mean and as radiant as a harvest moon. Although he tries to show that face, this face drops as soon as the son offers to try and raise money for him.

Here comes to the surface the face of business men who cares about money, and wants money as quickly as Seibel, although he has to humiliate himself. The father’s sailing eyes came down and looked at his son’s nervous, frowning face and slowly the dreaming look went from the father’s face. Slowly the harvest moon came down from its rosy voyage. The little face suddenly became dominant within the outer folds of skin like a fox looking out of a hole of clay. He leaned forward brusquely on the table and somehow a silver- topped pencil was in his hand preparing to note something briskly on a writing -pad.

Raise it? Said the old man sharply. Why didn’t you tell me before you could raise money? How can you raise it? Where? By When? ‘. At the end of the story by saying this he clearly show that what he said at the begging were bullwhip, that he doesn’t change at all, he would be always obsessed with money and business . It shows that although he tries to change, he couldn’t that his obsession wins him, costing a lot, a relation with his son.

What does the fly represents at the moment in which it appear. The fly represents the “dirty” part of the relationship between father and son. It shows that although they are trying to cure all the injuries, there is always something that prevents it. In his case is the fly that while they are talking the father interrupts the whole conversation to kill the fly. As seen in the following lines “forgive this interruption.

I can’t sit in a room with a fly in it”. It is use as a symbolic way to show that there are many things that spoil the relationship. Also, I think as he tries to kill the fly he also is trying to kill all the mistakes he have done throw his life, but he didn’t succeed. The fly also remark him that he is weak and old and this make Harold feel worried. As this lines show “suddenly he looked tired and old, his body began to sag and a look of weaknesses came into his face”