Rufus wants Dana to stay with him because she is the only person in his life who cares for him and listens to what he says while his father and stepmother do not.
Rufus’ grows up in an environment in which he believes his father does not care for him and his stepmother suffocates him with her love. When Dana comes into his life, she is the first person who truly seems to care for him and listen to what he has to say. His father only cares for him when he is trying to make Rufus into the man who will take over the plantation or when Rufus causes him trouble: “Weylin grunted and knelt to look at Rufus’ leg. ‘Guess it’s broken all right. Wonder how much that’ll cost me’”(65). Rufus’ stepmother, Margaret Weylin, is the opposite of his father and smothers Rufus with attention. Although this allows Rufus to get what he wants from her, he is easily irritated by the way she acts: “He spoke quietly now as Weylin did when he was angry. ‘You’re making me sick, …show more content…
Dana has been a guardian for Rufus from a young age, and despite their differences Rufus loves her: “It was that single-minded love if his. He loved me… he wanted me around - someone to talk to, someone who would listen to him and care what he said, care about him”(180). Dana has saved Rufus’ life multiple times, and this causes her to become a person that Rufus believes he can trust and rely on. Rufus’ attachment to Dana causes him to act impulsively and go through desperate measures to try and keep her with him: “‘You’re not leaving!’ he shouted. He sort of crouched around the gun, clearly on the verge of firing. ‘Damn you, you’re not leaving me’”(187). Rufus knows that Dana must return home, but he becomes angry at the idea of her ever leaving him alone in his world. Dana’s care for Rufus has caused her to become a guardian for Rufus and although he is influenced by the society around him, he loves her as
Rufus’ grows up in an environment in which he believes his father does not care for him and his stepmother suffocates him with her love. When Dana comes into his life, she is the first person who truly seems to care for him and listen to what he has to say. His father only cares for him when he is trying to make Rufus into the man who will take over the plantation or when Rufus causes him trouble: “Weylin grunted and knelt to look at Rufus’ leg. ‘Guess it’s broken all right. Wonder how much that’ll cost me’”(65). Rufus’ stepmother, Margaret Weylin, is the opposite of his father and smothers Rufus with attention. Although this allows Rufus to get what he wants from her, he is easily irritated by the way she acts: “He spoke quietly now as Weylin did when he was angry. ‘You’re making me sick, …show more content…
Dana has been a guardian for Rufus from a young age, and despite their differences Rufus loves her: “It was that single-minded love if his. He loved me… he wanted me around - someone to talk to, someone who would listen to him and care what he said, care about him”(180). Dana has saved Rufus’ life multiple times, and this causes her to become a person that Rufus believes he can trust and rely on. Rufus’ attachment to Dana causes him to act impulsively and go through desperate measures to try and keep her with him: “‘You’re not leaving!’ he shouted. He sort of crouched around the gun, clearly on the verge of firing. ‘Damn you, you’re not leaving me’”(187). Rufus knows that Dana must return home, but he becomes angry at the idea of her ever leaving him alone in his world. Dana’s care for Rufus has caused her to become a guardian for Rufus and although he is influenced by the society around him, he loves her as