Is Hiram McDowell a bad father?

Use this forum to discuss the October Book of the Month "McDowell" by William H. Coles.
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Namaste23
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Re: Is Hiram McDowell a bad father?

Post by Namaste23 »

I don't think he was a great father. His priorities were elsewhere.
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HanElizabeth397
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Post by HanElizabeth397 »

HollandBlue wrote: 02 Oct 2018, 10:36 I think in the beginning of the book he's too self-centered to be a good father.
This sums up my thoughts perfectly!
Readinggrl18
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Post by Readinggrl18 »

I don't know that I am qualified to say what makes a good or bad father, but I do think as part of his growth he tries to be a better person overall. I think his lack of presence and throwing money at a problem doesn't make him a good father.
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Smmwallace
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Post by Smmwallace »

Even from the beginning of the book, I felt Hiram genuinely loved his biological children. Does that make him a good father? No.
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Liveforchrist51
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Post by Liveforchrist51 »

He isn’t a loving father or a comforter for his children. I wouldn’t say he is a very good father figure. He is more of a monetary help to them as long as they let him do his own thing in life.
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Sandy Armstrong
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Post by Sandy Armstrong »

I think McDowell continually reacts to situations rather than being involved with them or caring about them. He doesn't seem to feel one way or the other about anything that doesn't directly involve him.
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photosynthesis19
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Post by photosynthesis19 »

I genuinely believe Hiram McDowell is a bad father. He shows no compassion or love toward his children beyond his wish to control their lives. When he finally starts changing and wants to build deeper connections with his children, it is already too late. He never has a chance to reconnect with his son, and the conversations with his daughter are limited to occasional phone calls. I think it is people like Hiram McDowell who cause emotional wounds that will never heal.
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Post by Mellino Itz »

At the beginning of this book Hiram proved to be a very bad husband and father towards the end if the second part of this book he seemed to improve to become a better person.
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Stacy K
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Post by Stacy K »

He treated his children differently and you can see who his favorite child is, which is not the best parenting trait. I do think he has a soft spot for each of his children and he cares for each of them and wants to protect them, but this does not necessarily mean he is a great father. It appears that he is a better father to them in their adulthoods rather than when they were children.
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