The Creepy Dad |
WARNING EMOTIONALLY TROUBLING SCENE Below
WARNING GRAPHIC VIOLENT scene below!
He beats Cecile, his daughter.
Alfonso impregnates his daughter, kills one child.
WARNING Emotionally troubling Scene Below
What does the Creepy Father figure do in literature? While I am often bothered by this theme, I am often drawn to it. For every Creepy Dad written, there are scores of actual creepy dads out there NOT being written about. Perhaps, the most important role these fictional dads offer is to be the antithesis to the heroine who will attempt to find salvation outside of the controlled thumb of the abusive father.
I am struck often with the question, would I want my kids to read about these dads? And the answer is only when they are actually old enough to gain compassion for the victim and not just mistrust of men. While I would personally hope my children would not read about these dads, because I wish they didn't exist. However, at some point, they will need to understand, the worst dad isn't the dad who doesn't give you what you want.
In the Disney-fied world, the worst dad forgets to come to your big game, tells you to shut up, or gets overly competitive. At some point, our kids need to be exposed to the idea that sometimes people don't just have an absentee father but a very real and threatening father.
I am struck often with the question, would I want my kids to read about these dads? And the answer is only when they are actually old enough to gain compassion for the victim and not just mistrust of men. While I would personally hope my children would not read about these dads, because I wish they didn't exist. However, at some point, they will need to understand, the worst dad isn't the dad who doesn't give you what you want.
In the Disney-fied world, the worst dad forgets to come to your big game, tells you to shut up, or gets overly competitive. At some point, our kids need to be exposed to the idea that sometimes people don't just have an absentee father but a very real and threatening father.