Sunday, October 2, 2016

What is Hally's father like in "Master Harold". . .and the boys?

In "Master Harold". . .and the boys, Hally's father--quite frankly--is not a good man.  It is clear that Hally is glad to not have his father at home because when his mother first calls from the hospital, Hally gets very agitated by the mere notion that his father might be coming home.  One would expect that a child is happy that his father is coming home from the hospital, but Hally does not want...

In "Master Harold". . .and the boys, Hally's father--quite frankly--is not a good man.  It is clear that Hally is glad to not have his father at home because when his mother first calls from the hospital, Hally gets very agitated by the mere notion that his father might be coming home.  One would expect that a child is happy that his father is coming home from the hospital, but Hally does not want him around, indicating that the father must be a bit despicable.  As the play continues, Hally reveals that his father is not kind to his mother (it seems that he controls her) and that he discriminates against black people (Hally says that his father does not like natives).  Near the end of the play, Hally tells Sam about the ugly joke that his father always tells him:  "It's not fair, Hally."  Hally's father degrades black people and expects that his son do the same.  So, Hally's father is characterized largely as a despicable man.

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