A Literary Analysis Of Powder By Tobias Wolff

Powder analysis Essay In the short story “Powder” by Tobias Wolff, a father and son’s relationship undergoes a shifting dynamic due to the father’s procrastination. Wolff achieves a strengthening relationship between the boy and his father by using literary devices. Wolff illustrates the changing father-son relationship through one pivotal moment during the car ride home. The son undergoes moral development during this moment, and Wolff demonstrates this by using foils, symbolism, and by changing the connotation of the word snow. It is due to these literary devices that Wolff demonstrates the son’s moral development during a memorable moment. Throughout the novel it is apparent that the father and mother of the son are complete opposites.

The son himself follows more of his mother’s personality, because he always thinks ahead. This is evident by the quote “…bothered teachers for homework assignments far ahead of their due dates so I could draw up schedules.” This shows that the son thinks ahead and likes to plan for the future, a characteristic he shares with his mother. The fathers care free, go with the flow personality is exemplified by his multitude of last runs. “He was indifferent to my fretting.” This quote shows that the father cares more about having fun with his kid than by adhering to the strict guidelines his wife has set. During the son’s pivotal moment where he starts to enjoy his time he see’s his father in a different light than what he used to the son realizes how much fun he has had with his father during the trip and on all the past trips they have been on. The changing relationship between the father and son is demonstrated, when the son thinks back to what happened on the car ride back. “What I did not know was that my father would wheedle and and plead his way past them…”. This quote shows the respect the son is gaining for his father and his ability to get him back home earlier than predicted. The mother is