Essay Questions

The relationship between David and his father, Albert, is presented as being one that is of fear and abhorrence. Illustrate this statement.

Having lived with his mother for some time in the absence of his father, David finds it rather difficult to get used to life in the presence of his father. After his father throws away his heat, David becomes increasingly afraid and fearful of him. He chooses to have a more cordial and formal type of relationship than would have been expected. When later David witnesses his father Albert beating up a man almost to his death, his apprehension of his father only heightens. The relationship between father and son takes a different toll when David meets a new friend Leo. After he is infatuated with him, David organises for Leo to meet one of her cousins Esther. When Leo rapes Esther, Albert is inebriated and wishes to kill the boy. Until the boy is electrocuted later on in the novel, the relationship between him and his father remains mostly that of fear.

Henry Roth does a beautiful job exploring immigration, separation and loneliness in the novel. Illustrate the truthfulness of this statement.

David and his mother, Genya, are Jewish immigrants who leave their country and migrate to the United States. As a result of this, the two become separated from Albert, who is Genya’s husband and David’s father. The separation of David from his father due to the separation causes him to spend most of his time with his mother, and away from his father, as such, David finds it rather difficult to become accustomed to living with his father.

Additionally, following this immigration and separation, David is lonely and finds it very difficult to get used to the new environment. David’s mother Genya, and himself lack money and are impoverished. His family is alienated due to Albert’s suspicion. This alienation adds more onto the loneliness that David suffers.