Summary Of Putting Daddy On By Tom Wolfe

Tom Wolfe’s essay “Putting Daddy On” tells the story of a father and son dispute. The essay’s character development, dialogue, and style all contribute to conveying a unifying message; the theme of this work is that people ultimately cannot control or save the ones they love from making poor life choices. Wolfe begins the essay by introducing his friend Parker. The author provides an engaging and detailed explanation of Parker’s background and persona. “I think Parker is a casualty of the Information Crisis” (Wolfe 280). He goes on to explain that Parker “understands everything everything…he is a hopeless funk” (Wolfe 281). Parker has been groomed by Yale and society to be the ultimate know-it-all. Ben, Parker’s son, has significant character development as well. In a few short lines, Wolfe is able to flawlessly capture the very essence of a young man who is rebelling against his father. Ben is described with vivid terms like “robust as rice pudding” and “ferocious hair” (Wolfe 283). Even minor characters like Aywak and Jaywak are distinct; they look at Parker and Wolfe “like the tar baby or a couple of those hard-cheese mestizos on the road to Acapulco” (Wolfe 283). Even though readers may miss it, it is undeniable that the narrator’s …show more content…
Though this essay is told from a first person point of view, the author is not the main character. This may seem like a strange choice because it distances the readers from Parker, but it also gives people a different view of the story. Wolfe’s narration reveals so much about the characters, story, and theme. The narrator is observant, cynical, and insightful. He almost has a foresight throughout the entire essay. He never believes that Ben will magically apologize and return to school after a simple conversation with his father; however, Wolfe still comes with Parker to offer him moral