Usually idolized by their children, fathers influence their child’s life. A child looks to the influential adults in his life for guidance on how to live in society. A father’s influence on his son remains one of the strongest in determining who that boy will become as an adult.
In his novel, The Light in the Forest, author Conrad Richter explores this truth through his central character, True Son, a fifteen-year-old white boy kidnapped and raised since age four by the Indians and later forced to return to the white family he no longer knows. Throughout the novel, True Son remains greatly influenced by three fathers who try to teach him the values he will carry into adulthood: Cuyloga, his Indian father; Harry Butler, his white father; and the Sun, his spiritual? father.
First, Cuyloga, the great Indian chief who kidnapped True Son at age four, raised True Son as his own son. Cuyloga tried to teach True Son the important trait, patience and tolerance for discomfort by having True Son put burning rocks on his arm in summer or sit in a freezing river in the winter (Richter 1). These trials would teach True Son to hide his feelings. Another example of Cuyloga
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Another example of the importance of material wealth is shown when Harry teaches True Son to help plow the land, which is another form of material wealth. Harry Butler loves his farm and praises True Son when he plows for the first time (Richter 74,75). Harry also takes care of his business in his ledger to calm himself. He wishes that True Son would understand the concept of money and business (Richter 68& 70). This evidence supports the fact that Harry wanted True Son to share in the business and have a part in what Harry valued the most- his success and his money. He was trying to show True Son what he thought would be