Charlie’s extreme uneasiness and calculated movements throughout his visit at the Peters’ home are arguably the first instance in which readers question the purity of Charlie’s intentions. Boasting of his stability and success, Charlie aims to present himself worthy of returning to his role as Honoria’s father. When he “see[s] a faint [look] of restlessness in Lincoln’s eyes” he realized his facade is not serving its purpose and “change[s] the subject” (pg 4). If Charlie’s intentions were as pure as he expresses them to be he would show signs of nervousness, yes of course, but he would not act in such a strategic manner. When Charlie lets up the act for a moment when mentioning his prior visit to the bar, “he stumbled seeing his mistake” and quickly reassured Marion that he has “one drink every afternoon, and no more” (pg 4). The trouble of this moment is that Charlie views his
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As the story’s end and numerous aspects throughout lead us to realize, Charlie’s efforts have been driven by his own selfish agenda rather than his desire to genuinely be the father Honoria needs him to be. As Charlie himself admits, all he can do at this point is provide Honoria with a life of materialism. If his intentions were truly pure, Charlie would be showering her with affection not trying to win her over with toys. Instead, he is so consumed by his own wants and needs that he will never be able to see the error of his ways and be more than his mistakes of the past. Charlie’s actions throughout the story mimic that of a pendulum, invariably oscillating between the world of his past and the world of his potential future (The Indelible Affection to Alcohol). In the end, he believes it his past that restricts him from his daughter but it’s the nature of his intentions that he fails, even in the end, to recognize as the
As the story’s end and numerous aspects throughout lead us to realize, Charlie’s efforts have been driven by his own selfish agenda rather than his desire to genuinely be the father Honoria needs him to be. As Charlie himself admits, all he can do at this point is provide Honoria with a life of materialism. If his intentions were truly pure, Charlie would be showering her with affection not trying to win her over with toys. Instead, he is so consumed by his own wants and needs that he will never be able to see the error of his ways and be more than his mistakes of the past. Charlie’s actions throughout the story mimic that of a pendulum, invariably oscillating between the world of his past and the world of his potential future (The Indelible Affection to Alcohol). In the end, he believes it his past that restricts him from his daughter but it’s the nature of his intentions that he fails, even in the end, to recognize as the