Themes and message

Some of the most important themes of the story “Manhood” by John Wain are parents’ expectations and pressure, broken communication, and disappointment. Through these themes, the author’s message is that pressuring children into becoming something they are not can lead to faulty family relationships, frustration, regrets, and disappointment.

Parents’ expectations and pressure

This theme is illustrated by Mr Willison, Rob’s father. His high expectations come as a consequence of his frustration of being raised to grow up frail and without an inclination to sports.

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Broken communication

This theme is illustrated by the Willison family as a whole. None of the family members manages to properly communicate with the others. Rob, for instance, hides his true feelings and fails to communicate to his father how he feels like regarding sports and training.

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Disappointment

This theme is illustrated by all three characters in the story. Disappointment comes as a consequence of the faulty relationship between the family members. Rob, for example, is disappointed that he cannot please his father and gain his approval.

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