I felt so conflicted while reading this story. I can understand the narrator's anger towards his father and how his father chooses not to acknowledge what happened to him. As human beings in order to survive we often choose to accept our fate and bring out the best in whatever situations we are placed in. The narrator never really sees that maybe his father truly needs to believe that racism isn't real or that he was able to become successful without discrimination because believing he is unwanted in this country would kill him mentally.
"I am American he says to himself. I am glad we won...He repeats his mantra over and over. He learns to believe" (Pg 352.)
In this section the narrator kind of touches on the emotions his father felt after the war and how he had to convince himself he was happy to prove that he was American. I also feel as though the children of immigrants, myself included, are too hard on our parents. Many children born to immigrant parents are either born in America or come to the United States at a very young age so they are raised more American than anything. When children of immigrant parents grow up in American culture there seems to be a huge barrier between cultures. Children are unable to understand the traditions of their parents and parents don't understand the attitude/impatience their children have towards their culture. It really is a lose/lose situation.
I think that sexuality was large role in the story, predominantly how American culture plays a role in sexuality. When the narrator talks about finding the Playboy in his parent's room he says, "And so, like many other American boys, I discover my sexuality in the presence of a picture. And, like, many other Americans boys, I do not think of the color of the woman's skin" (Pg 353) Right in this paragraph he makes sure to put that he discovered his sexuality like other American boys and like other American boys he makes sure that he is attracted to white women. Her beauty is evident because she is white and she is more beautiful than other women because of her skin.
