correction

Dr. Laura Mohsene

ENGL-1302

May 2, 2018

The Father-son relations Comment by Laura Mohsene: What is this story saying about fatherhood? About father and son relationships? What makes Roger look up to his father?

The short story "Bicycles, Muscles, Cigarettes" written by Raymond Carver presents the father-son relation which is first presented by a conflict and later the conflict being solved with the connection. "Raymond Carver was widely acknowledged as one of his age's finest crafters of short stories. Carver's work, which began to reach a national audience when Esquire published "Neighbors" in June 1971." (Williams) Basically, this short story portrays the parenthood using 4 distinct characters; Evan Hamilton and his son Roger Hamilton, Mr. Bergman and his son Gary Bergman. The story consists of many other characters like Ann Hamilton, who is Roger's mother and the boy who lost his bicycle, Gilbert and his mother, Mrs. Miller. Evan Hamilton and Ann Hamilton are having a conversation in the kitchen. Evan has recently quit cigarettes and is having difficulty as he still smells the cigarettes in his hands, regardless of a bath. This reflects the internal conflict of Evan through the symbolism of the smell of cigarettes in his hand. Later this event, an unfamiliar boy comes in a bicycle calling on one of the parents of Roger to Miller's house. The writer uses the theme of conflict, connection, symbolism and to solve the distant relation between Mr. Hamilton and Roger and portrays the figure/ of Mr. Bergman as the source of wrong parenthood which led Gary to be similar and unfaithful; proves that sometimes conflicts lead to permanent solutions. Comment by Laura Mohsene: You must use the quote in a sentence. The quote should add something to the introduction. This quote doesn’t really fit or contribute to your analysis.For example, Raymond Carver had children. Was he a good father? Here is an article that can add something to your argument. This article is about a book his first wife wrote, but she talks about the author, Raymond Carver, as a father.https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2006/aug/10/what-it-used-be-portrait-my-marriage-raymond-carve/#Read the part that starts with A CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHOR Comment by Laura Mohsene: You don’t need to analyze the use of appeals to logic, character, and emotion when writing about fiction. Comment by Laura Mohsene: Roger indicates that he and Mr. Hamilton have a good relationship, but Mr. Hamilton did not have a good relationship with HIS father. Comment by Laura Mohsene: What kind of relationship does Gary have with his father? What kind of relationship did Mr. Hamilton have with his father?Your topic is father and son relationships. There are at least three father/son relationships in the story and then the author’s relationship with his children and whether he was a good father.What is this story saying about fathers and sons?Do not retell the story, but use quotes from the story that indicate what kind of relationships each character had with their father. Comment by Laura Mohsene: There are several examples of conflict in the story: conflict between the boys, conflict between Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Bergman, some unknown conflict between Mr. Hamilton and his father who has died before the story begins.

The internal conflict demonstrated by Mr. Hamilton at the beginning of the story, which is faced by him in the process to quit cigarettes, the conflict between the boys over Gilberts lost bicycle; two different things said by Kip and Gary and the conflict between Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Bergman are the major conflicts that has been portrayed in this story. However, we can see the connection building up between the distant Roger and Evan Hamilton from the start of conflict also the bad parenthood that has been exhibited by the biased and means attitude of Mr. Bergman and his decisions of violence being limited to his son's disloyal interpretation. "Many men are love-starved for their fathers (and fathers for their sons) and deny it. To let this "out of the bag" is to face a great deal of anger, rejection, and sadness." (Goldenberg) Similarly, In the story, the conflict is the major reason which enforces Mr. Hamilton to explore more about his son, while Roger has always had missed his father and wishes to connect more. The sadness faced by Roger being unable to talk to his father might be the reasons for him following the amiss influence like Gary. In the story, Mr. Hamilton comes to realize his distant relation with the surrounding and his son, Roger, when he is walking down to the Millers house and the house just two blocks away seems unfamiliar to him. This event uncluttered the need of maintaining a good-father and son relationship for Evan; Also, justifies his internal conflict of having difficulty in quitting the cigarettes which could be lack of socializing and opening up. This event mirrors Hamilton's distant relationship with his son. On the other hand, Mr. Bergman seems to be mean, egoistic and violent which has been passed on to Gary showing him as an unfaithful character. The conflicts between two fathers; Mr. Bergman and Evan is a story changer. Comment by Laura Mohsene: You must use quotes in a sentence. Introduce the quote:https://www.ccis.edu/offices/academicresources/writingcenter/essaywritingassistance/suggestedwaystointroducequotations.aspx Comment by Laura Mohsene: Where in the story does it show this?Roger indicates they have a good relationship. Comment by Laura Mohsene: What in the story says they have a distant relationship?

Evan and Roger who transition throughout the story are the protagonists who play a leading role to determine the end of conflicts giving birth to a unique father and son relationships which are attained through the series of conflicts. The unique connection of the father-son relationships initiates just after the fight of Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Bergman. On the way back home from the Millers, Roger wants to feel his father's muscle. This symbolizes Roger was not ashamed of his father having a fight; Roger knew his father fought for the morality of truth. This enhances the father-son relationship. Roger seems more prominent and forwards in enhancing the relationship with his father. Roger building connection says to his father "He wished he knew his father when he was his age." Roger saying this builds up a whole new level of connection. A similarity in age always is a plus for sharing the same experience and thoughts. Roger stating his wish clears his anxiousness towards knowing his father better. On the other side of the coin, the relation between Mr. Bergman and his son, Gary is reflected which seems to be based on the teachings of Mr. Bergman whose character is egoistic, mean and rude. This appeals to the character of Mr. Bergman and his son. The character of these people acts as an antagonist. The writer opposes the bad influences that can be progressed to the preceding generations by presenting unsound relationships based on impractical teaching, dishonesty, and disinformation.

Evan and Roger after series of conflicts are bonded by series of connections. Similarly, like Roger, Evan seems more concerned about his son. While Evan is sitting outside thinking about his father's fight, he is worried about Roger getting a bad influence from his fight earlier with Mr. Bergman. This incident sparks a thought of concern regarding his son which enables him to talk to Roger more and know him better. As an official starting and ending to the conflict, the smell of the cigarette plays a vital role. As Hamilton asks Roger to smell his hand, the smell of the cigarette now was gone. This symbolizes the conflict coming to an end with the birth of newly build father-son relationship.

Throughout the story, the protagonists Hamilton and Roger develop new bonds which are developed after the series of conflicts. We can observe an improvising connection for each conflict that occurred in the story. Had not this incident of the lost bicycle occurred, Roger and Hamilton would still have a distant relationship. "A story of a nine-year-old child who is a typical child in his anxiety over his father's mortality and in his fear of abandonment and separation; both, of course, are common fears of lovers." (Schiff) The fear of abandonment from loved ones is a customary fear that is always hidden from each father, son, mother and any intimate relations. The story uses the theme of symbolism, conflict, connection and appeal to the character to prove that conflicts can sometimes create permanent solutions; like the resolution of the distant relationship between Roger and his father which was only attained after an array of conflicts.

Works cited

Williams, Gary. "Raymond Carver." American Writers, Supplement 3, edited by Lea Baechler and A. Walton Litz, vol. 1, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1991. Scribner Writer Series,

Goldenberg, Deryl. "Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic Revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720.

Schiff, James A. "Fathers and Sons in the Fiction of Reynolds Price: 'A Sense of Crucial Ambiguity.'." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 212, Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center,