The dad in "Sticks" is portrayed as a somewhat absent-minded and neglectful parent. The narrator expresses feelings of frustration and disappointment towards his father, as he is constantly fixated on his project with the sticks and seems to prioritize it over spending time with his son. However, as the story progresses, the narrator starts to understand his father's obsession with the sticks and even helps him with his project, showing a shift in perspective and a growing acceptance of his father's quirks.
Throughout the story, the dad's behavior becomes more obsessive and his self-expression through the sticks becomes increasingly important to him. He spends hours on end working on his stick project and even starts to neglect his other responsibilities. This change in behavior highlights the dad's deepening fixation with the sticks and the impact it has on his relationship with his son.
In "Sticks," George Saunders suggests that our parents play a significant role in shaping who we become as individuals. The narrator reflects on how his father's fixation with the sticks influenced his own sense of meanness and obsession. This implies that our parents' behavior and values can seep into our own personalities, even if we are not consciously aware of it. The story serves as a reminder of the complex ways in which our parents impact our development and how their actions can influence our own character traits.
Read "Sticks" by George Saunders. "Sticks" is the first example of Flash Fiction we will be reading this summer.
Submit an assignment that answers the following questions. Each answer should be a short paragraph in length (3-5 sentences).
What kind of parent is the dad? How does the narrator feel about his father, and how does this change throughout the story? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
How does the dad's behavior and self-expression through the "Sticks" change throughout the story?
George Saunders writes "we... found the seeds of meanness blooming also within us," In what ways do our parents influence who we become as people?
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