Adam Trask struggles to overcome the actions of others—his father, brother, and wife—and make his own life. What is the lesson that he learns that frees him from Kate and allows him to love his sons? He says to Cal near the end that "if you want to give me a present—give me a good life. That would be something I could value." Does Adam have a good life? What hinders him? Would you characterize his life as successful in the end?
I am woman....hear me roar.....
9 years ago
3 comments:
Sam had a very hard life...the cruel experiences he had from his brother, the lack of affection and good from his father, life in the army, arrests after that when he really had no direction, and then his meeting Cathy and her final rejection of him and attempt to take his life. Finally, what got him over Cathy was seeing her in her brothel and seing what she had become...and Samuel using tough love to wake him up and see Cathy for what she was and to see the beautiful sons he had and to start living.
I think he thought the greatest gift would be a son(s) who lived a good life.
I don't think he had a really good life...he seem to lack incentive to do things (other than when he was trying to provide a good life for Cathy and had all kinds of plans for his land) and in the end he lost a son because he didn't show Aron the truth about his mother and putting, instead, the truth coming from Cal in an angry moment, and in the end on his death bed being told by Lee to let Cal know he was forgiven and loved.
When Adam finally learns about Kate and goes to see her I believe he actually sees her for the first time. She is no longer the fantasy that he has been nurturing in his mind. Once that veil is removed he is able to move forward, get out of his funk and being to live. I do not think he had ever really lived before that because he wallowed in his feelings about his father and his brother before he even met Cathy.
I do not think I would consider that Adam had a good life but I do not think it was because of the actions of others. I think it was because he did not choose to. Even with the way that he was treated by his father, brother and Cathy I think he had all the ingredients necessary to make his life beautiful but he did not allow himself to overcome. I have become close to people who had previously hurt me and I think he could have been close to Charles if he had forgiven him. Cathy was a lost cause but he had Lee and the boys who loved him and if he had seen it sooner I believe he could have had a life full of happiness. You cannot control the cards you are dealt, but you can decide how to play them. Adam made some progress and showed some gumption but never fully embraced the joy that was intended for him.
I don't think Adam had a good life. I think he had all the potential for one but he let others take his happiness away from him.
It was so hard to watch him abandon his children in a way after Kate left. Her leaving him (and the way she did it of course) crushed him. I see that all the time. People who let what others do to them dictate what their life will be like from then on.
I don't like that. I understand the sadness and anger that comes with heartbreak... I mean, I am divorced too. But true happiness cannot come from or be taken from someone else.
Then when he finally came around to his boys he was still never able to really connect with both of them.
I think Adam was a good man. I think he wanted to live a good life. I think he wanted so much but he really let Kate and his circumstances steal that from him.
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