Where He Was Memories Of My Father Analysis

Alcoholic person can cause so many problems in the family. In “Where He Was: Memories of My Father” written by Raymond Carver is a story which narrates the life of his family and how his dad was an alcoholic which was causing issues in the family. Carver talks about all of the constant struggles that his family went through just because of his father’s lifestyle, and how that affected on him. He also explores the theme of father-son relationships. While Carver looks up to his father (especially when his father made comebacks in life), he also wants to learn from his father’s many mistakes. In “The American Family” written by Stephanie Coontz also discusses how to cope up with family problems. She argues that families will benefit if problems …show more content…
Even though his father was married still he was in relationship with other women besides his mom. His father was not giving that much attention to his family as much as a child and a wife expect from his/her father or husband. Carver mom’s mentions: “Your dad always had a girlfriend, even after we married. He was my first and last. I never had another man. But I don’t miss anything” (Carver, 159). As mentioned, his father was not devoted to his wife and his family even though he was a hard worker. Rather, he liked other ladies and friends. Also, he used to move from here to there for new jobs not considering his family. However, Carver still loved him and was there for him when he was sick and helped him with his work in the mill. That seems that a father is a teenager who is making trouble constantly and a son is a father who is taking care of his son. Which is not supposed to be happened because its father’s responsibility to take care of the family instead of wasting all the money on drinking and having relationships with other women instead of his own wife. Coontz also discusses how men’s involvement in the family is very important and how it helps to grow deeper relationship with their partner and children. Coontz said: “Men’s greater involvement at home is good for their relationships with their partners and also good for their children” (Coontz, 99). Living in a healthy family environment helps children to develop skills related to tolerance and cooperation. Children can also be prepared on how to communicate with others in society and also in future when they have their own family. Most importantly, they can acquire the skill of maintaining a job and interact with others on a daily basis. So, having an environment where both of the parents are involved in their children can