A Character Analysis Of Mr. Fisher In Tangerine Florida

Mr. Fisher's actions led to the main dispute of the story, especially the parts that involved Erik. Though he had two sons, he only treated one of them with respect. Paul did not receive the attention he deserved from his father, which was a large part of his experience in Tangerine Florida. However, in the conclusion of the book, these experiences would also lead him to become a better person and reveal the truth to everyone. Mr. Fisher chose to ignore the fact that Erik had an unacceptable personality despite all of the evidence, which makes Paul feel that his senses are lying to him even when he has proof of Erik’s wrongdoings, and creates excuses for everything Erik does wrong, turning him into the opposite of what he undoubtedly is. Finally,

His parents however, know even more that Erik is a terrible human being, for they witnessed him reduce Paul to near blindness. At the resolution of the book, Paul's father says “‘You were five years old, Paul. There was only so much you could understand. All you could understand was that something bad had happened’” (Bloor 265). The revelation of his memories forced Paul to confront his father about the choices that had been made about his life, those that would lead him and the rest of the family to peril. Mr. Fisher obviously knew what Paul was just realizing, that his whole childhood was built on a tower of lies. This tower of lies though, was founded upon lies, deceit, excuses, and above all else, Paul's

This is a large part of Paul's life, one he fights to retain numerous times, but also one that his father all but ignores. For example, the author writes that Paul's dad said “‘Did you make the team or not?’ We locked eyes again. ‘How many games did I play in, Dad?’...’You’re saying that I know everything about Erik’s season and nothing about yours” (Bloor 233-234). At this point in the story, he admits his fault, but that doesn’t cover up his long history. It can be inferred that he expects immediate forgiveness. However, that is not at all what he deserves, for this ignorance subconsciously changed Paul into a child that could not rely on his own