Father Son Relationship In All American Boys By Johanny

Father and son relationships often are defining relationships in a son’s life. They can be meaningful relationships that are filled with love, respect, and inspiration. Fathers can provide their sons with guidance, support, and wisdom throughout their lives. In All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, the relationships between fathers and sons do all of these things, but they also serve as eye openers to sons about the world and how people choose to be. In All American Boys, the father-son relationships between Quinn and his deceased father, Quinn and Paul, and Rashad and his dad all are defining relationships for the sons where they view their father figures as supportive role models until they have a moment of clarity between

Quinn’s father’s nickname in their town is “Saint Springfield”. Quinn feels pressure to continue his father’s legacy of integrity and excellence, and to constantly try to make the right decisions. Quinn feels strain to be perfect, academically and otherwise. “I’d never be him,” Quinn states of his father’s hero status. “But I was still supposed to try. That was my role: the dutiful son, the All-American boy” with a great jump shot and 3.5 GPA. (Reynolds 27) When Quinn feels moments under pressure, such as tough basketball practices, “it was (his) Dad’s voice in (his) head” that guided him, and got him through hard moments, and “got (Quinn) to where (he) needed to get.” (Reynolds 27) There is an important moment in the story when Quinn confronts the decision

Paul is kind to Quinn, and they grow close. Quinn feels supported by Paul during a difficult time in his life after losing his father. Paul teaches Quinn how to play basketball which becomes important to Quinn. Paul is even supportive of Quinn’s mom. When “Ma got trashed because it was her first wedding anniversary without Dad, Paul had been so gentle. He’d taken the frigging day off just so she didn’t have to spend it alone, helped her home, put her down on the couch.” (Reyonds 129) It is ironic that Quinn used to view Paul as “gentle” and compassionate while he struggles with learning how violent Paul acted toward Rashad. After Paul brutally beat up Rashad, Quinn began to wrestle with his feelings about Paul and what he had done. That incident is a defining moment in this father figure and son relationship. Quinn viewed the beating of Rashad as unjust, and he felt pain inside for how Paul had treated Rashad. He used to think of Paul as kind and gentle. He now feels conflicted. He also recalls a past incident when Paul savagely beat up Marc Blair, a student bullying Quinn. He used to think of Paul as protective for doing that. Quinn now thinks that the incidents with Rashad and Marc Blair are “like side by side in my mind right now.” (Reynolds 128) They are both incidents of violence. Paul’s acts of aggression are important