Gandhi-ji need not apply
March 4, 2008 8:29 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for good stories about families whose patriarchs rely on psychological and physical intimidation to control family members, and the consequences for the adult children of those families.
I don't have a particular story in mind, this is more like a literature search while assessing a potential project.
I don't have a particular story in mind, this is more like a literature search while assessing a potential project.
Saving Grace, by Lee Smith
If you're interested in real-life examples and can choke back the vomit, researching Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church turns up some fascinating and disturbing accounts of the family dynamic--sounds like most of his descendents are either living in the family/church compound or have gotten the hell out of there with alarming things to say about Phelps' child-rearing practices.
posted by hippugeek at 8:45 PM on March 4, 2008
If you're interested in real-life examples and can choke back the vomit, researching Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church turns up some fascinating and disturbing accounts of the family dynamic--sounds like most of his descendents are either living in the family/church compound or have gotten the hell out of there with alarming things to say about Phelps' child-rearing practices.
posted by hippugeek at 8:45 PM on March 4, 2008
The Great Santini .... Actually, several of Pat Conroy's novels fit the bill.
posted by pearlybob at 8:55 PM on March 4, 2008
posted by pearlybob at 8:55 PM on March 4, 2008
Check out "La casa de Bernarda Alba" ("The House of Bernarda Alba"- Wikipedia Summary) by Federico Garcia Lorca. It's a great story that has all the elements you mentioned, except that it's the family matriarch.
posted by mynameismandab at 9:41 PM on March 4, 2008
posted by mynameismandab at 9:41 PM on March 4, 2008
Dickens - Dombey and Son.
Romeo and Juliet.
The Tempest, if isolating your daughter on an island and using magic on her counts as psychological intimidation...
Some might say The Little Mermaid qualifies, but there really were sharks near that sunken ship, you know. Maybe George Darling? Better still, Mr. Banks. However, the children aren't grown up yet in those stories, so they may not suit your needs.
Sylvia Plath's father?
If you consider Zeus to be fair game, then look at Greek and Roman myths. He's certainly psychologically and physically abusive. Not that his dad was any better...
Gabriel in Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin.
Do unsuccessful bullies count, like Harry Potter's uncle? What about Matilda's dad?
Phil Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O'Neill.
...Darth Vader?
The Godfather?
posted by prefpara at 10:22 PM on March 4, 2008
Romeo and Juliet.
The Tempest, if isolating your daughter on an island and using magic on her counts as psychological intimidation...
Some might say The Little Mermaid qualifies, but there really were sharks near that sunken ship, you know. Maybe George Darling? Better still, Mr. Banks. However, the children aren't grown up yet in those stories, so they may not suit your needs.
Sylvia Plath's father?
If you consider Zeus to be fair game, then look at Greek and Roman myths. He's certainly psychologically and physically abusive. Not that his dad was any better...
Gabriel in Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin.
Do unsuccessful bullies count, like Harry Potter's uncle? What about Matilda's dad?
Phil Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O'Neill.
...Darth Vader?
The Godfather?
posted by prefpara at 10:22 PM on March 4, 2008
Margaret Laurence's A Bird in the House is pretty much ideal.
posted by Paragon at 10:48 PM on March 4, 2008
posted by Paragon at 10:48 PM on March 4, 2008
I Am Not Esther might fit your bill (although the adult females are pretty enabling of the patriarchal control, what with the religious indoctrination and all)
posted by narrativium at 10:51 PM on March 4, 2008
posted by narrativium at 10:51 PM on March 4, 2008
The Old Testament. Full of scoundrels and blackguards, said Faulkner.
posted by doncoyote at 11:45 PM on March 4, 2008
posted by doncoyote at 11:45 PM on March 4, 2008
Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff (Jake "the Muss" Heke rules his family with his fist), which has two sequels, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? and Jake's Long Shadow.
posted by Pigpen at 4:18 AM on March 5, 2008
posted by Pigpen at 4:18 AM on March 5, 2008
Henry James, Washington Square
posted by bluenausea at 5:06 AM on March 5, 2008
posted by bluenausea at 5:06 AM on March 5, 2008
Poor Mr Banks! He wasn't even that bad in the film, was he - and in the books, he's a perfectly nice man, not even the repressed Brit twit of Disney's version.
posted by Phanx at 5:15 AM on March 5, 2008
posted by Phanx at 5:15 AM on March 5, 2008
Royal Tennenbaums
posted by doppleradar at 3:50 PM on March 5, 2008
posted by doppleradar at 3:50 PM on March 5, 2008
The Murray family patriarch of the Emily of New Moon series by Lucy Maud Montgomery was apparently a real jerk, although he is dead by the time the series starts, so we only see his effects through the attitudes and actions of his unmarried adult children, Emily's aunts and uncle.
posted by Asparagirl at 5:12 PM on March 5, 2008
posted by Asparagirl at 5:12 PM on March 5, 2008
« Older This post will become a breadcrumb. | What is that building with the giant light up... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ODiV at 8:38 PM on March 4, 2008