In Sag Harbor, Benji and Reggie's father doesn't quite seem like he fits in. Unlike many of the other people in Sag Harbor in the summer, he doesn't have the same generational tradition of coming out. He married into the tradition, unlike their mother and other families that come out.
Benji's father's philosophy about life is at odds with Sag Harbor. His greatest pride is that "Nobody ever gave him anything, and he never asked" (pg 217). Sag Harbor is almost entirely comprised of people who have inherited their beach houses from their parents or grandparents. Benji doesn't really seem to be aware of this, and his father doesn't ever openly express his feelings about Sag (although that might just be because most of his dialogue occurs when he is in Sag Harbor).
However, there is still the impression that he feels that the people of Sag Harbor are 'weak'. For example, when he is talking to Benji about women and complimenting Mrs. Rusell's mother, he says that she wasn't "one of these light-skinned pussies they got out here" and that he didn't know where she was from, "but it wasn't no Sag Harbor, I'll tell you that." (pg 220). Additionally, when he looks down at the people on the beach, he calls them "bourgie bitches" (pg 220). This shows that he doesn't think highly of the people of Sag Harbor, especially in that he thinks of them as having received 'handouts' or being otherwise weak-willed.
This attitude towards the residents of Sag extends to Benji's mother as well. When his father is yelling at her about buying the wrong brand of paper plates, he tells her that "You have time to sit on your fat ass and talk to your friends. 'Yeah, yeah, uh-huh, uh-huh.'" (pg 228). He thinks that she should be working (to buy paper plates), not just 'relaxing' and chatting. He then goes on to say "You think you'd be sitting down there talking all that horseshit if I wasn't doing what I'm supposed to? All week long slaving for this family. I'm not like all those other pussies out here. I work my ass of. I don't ask for anything" (pg 229). Clearly he thinks of himself as above the other residents because he 'earned' what he has, and didn't ask for help.
Benji's father almost resents the fact that so many people have had this generational luxury of being able to come out to Sag, when he didn't have such a thing when he was a child. He takes this frustration out both directly on Benji's mother and also by talking badly about the people of Sag Harbor (not that they know this, since they all seem to love him).
I agree, Benji's father seems to show resentment towards those who were born in to more privileged lifestyles. I wonder if because he and his wife are of higher economic status he views his kids as more privileged and resents them a little for that, or at least tries to overcompensate for that by being harsher on his kids. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the scene from earlier in the book where Benji's father beats him for not fighting that racist kid at school and compare it to his feelings about laziness and the generational aspect of Sag Harbor you can see how he might interpret the handing down of houses as people not fighting their own battles but relying on others.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how disconnected Benji's father is from most of the story and his apparent disdain for Sag Harbor. There are very few chapters where he's even physically present but somehow he still plays a big role in Benji's narration. He's clearly had a lot of influence on Benji and Reggie but his views on Sag don't seem to come through with that so much.
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