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Mother
Annie’s father is also similar to many upper- and upper-middle-class Pittsburgh men: he works in business, believes in hard work, and his politics are somewhat conservative. He is logical and thoughtful, though he can also be silly and goofy: he joins in Mother’s comedy routines with glee. At certain points, he seems to dream about a different kind of life for himself, particularly when he sets off on a boat down the Ohio River. He also gets involved in a low-budget horror movie production, which shows his unorthodox creative streak that sets him apart from many of his colleagues and friends. Still, his restlessness never rises to the level of Annie’s desires to leave Pittsburgh and devour entirely new spheres of knowledge.
Father (Frank Doak) Quotes in An American Childhood
The An American Childhood quotes below are all either spoken by Father (Frank Doak) or refer to Father (Frank Doak) . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part Two
Quotes
I had essentially been handed my own life. In subsequent years my parents would praise my drawings and poems, and supply me with books, art supplies, and sports equipment, and listen to my troubles and enthusiasms, and supervise my hours, and discuss and inform, but they would not get involved with my detective work, nor hear about my reading, nor inquire about my homework or term papers or exams, nor visit the salamanders I caught, nor listen to me play the piano, nor attend my field hockey games, nor fuss over my insect collection with me, or my poetry collection or stamp collection or rock collection. My days and nights were my own to plan and fill.
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Part Three
Quotes
I was growing and thinning, as if pulled. I was getting angry, as if pushed. I morally disapproved most things in North America, and blamed my innocent parents for them. My feelings deepened and lingered. The swift moods of early childhood—each formed by and suited to its occasion—vanished. Now feelings lasted so long they left stains. They arose from nowhere, like winds or waves, and battered at me or engulfed me.
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Father (Frank Doak) Quotes in An American Childhood
The An American Childhood quotes below are all either spoken by Father (Frank Doak) or refer to Father (Frank Doak) . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part Two
Quotes
I had essentially been handed my own life. In subsequent years my parents would praise my drawings and poems, and supply me with books, art supplies, and sports equipment, and listen to my troubles and enthusiasms, and supervise my hours, and discuss and inform, but they would not get involved with my detective work, nor hear about my reading, nor inquire about my homework or term papers or exams, nor visit the salamanders I caught, nor listen to me play the piano, nor attend my field hockey games, nor fuss over my insect collection with me, or my poetry collection or stamp collection or rock collection. My days and nights were my own to plan and fill.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Part Three
Quotes
I was growing and thinning, as if pulled. I was getting angry, as if pushed. I morally disapproved most things in North America, and blamed my innocent parents for them. My feelings deepened and lingered. The swift moods of early childhood—each formed by and suited to its occasion—vanished. Now feelings lasted so long they left stains. They arose from nowhere, like winds or waves, and battered at me or engulfed me.
Related Characters:
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