How Does Norton's Tactics Drive Sheppard?

Norton’s tactics drive Sheppard to do even less productive things. For instance, instead of letting Norton be Sheppard tries to force him into his heroic ideals. He wants Norton to give up his selfish ways and give to others, but does not realize that his son cannot do this for very justifiable reasons. Norton knows that Sheppard believes he has given him everything and even knows Sheppard thinks of him as selfish, but Norton cannot help but feel that he is still in need of something. He is given nothing in the sense of love and compassion. This all leads to Norton’s sick episode at the breakfast table, which Sheppard mistakes for his recent intake of food. The idea of helping others idea does not interest Norton, because there is no security. For example,

Sheppard does not believe in the bible and not being able to think of his mother in a certain place scares him. Norton is old enough to remember his mother talking to him to comfort him and this is what draws his curiosity to Rufus’s knowledge. Rufus acknowledges Norton’s vulnerability and plays on it in spite of Sheppard, but does not realize how deeply Norton is missing his mother. Rufus’s “game” is the answer to Norton, and the only way he can find his mother is to be dead. Rufus even goes as far as to tell him that if he was dead now he would be with her, but if he lived too long he would no longer be able to go to Heaven. Although Sheppard knows of some of these conversations he does not realize the effect they are having on Norton. From Sheppard’s perspective he sees Norton finally accepting to help someone else and maybe even distract him from his grief. Sheppard dropped both Rufus and Norton off to see a movie while he attended a meeting. When he came to take the boys home there was a cop car sitting outside of the house. Norton knew what Rufus had done and yet he didn’t say