Petya In The Zero Meter Diving Team

Some people like to think of the glass as half-full, while others like to think of it as half-empty. Being “part” of anything means that it will never be as good as if it were to be full. Boris and Mikhail treat their half-brother, Petya, as if he is “half” the value of a true brother. Since Petya does not share the same blood as his siblings, he is separated from the family. leading the relationship he has with his brothers to become unstable. In “The Zero Meter Diving Team”, Jim Shepard portrays Petya to be half of what his brothers are to reveal the corruption that is their relationship. Petya’s brothers treat Petya as if he is beneath his brothers due to the fact that they don’t share the same blood. Petya is ordered by his father to

Petya's own father doesn't treat him like a son, “‘Has father been to see me?’ he[Petya] asked. . . . ‘Father's been to see me,’ he[Mikhail] said instead of hello’” (Shepard 7-8). Mikhail is bent on being better than Petya; instead of greeting Boris, he gloats about how his father visits him and not Petya, thus revealing how Mikhail rejects Petya from the family. Petya wonders if his father went to visit him, revealing how, even when they treat him like a slave, Petya still wants his affection. Petya is scolded by his father when his father does not go to visit him simply because Petya is only partially related to him. Petya is a part of their family, but they have no respect towards him. They even have the audacity to avoid communicating with him while he is in the hospital. His family constantly prevents any relationship with Petya possible. By isolating Petya from the family, a wall is formed between the family. The corrupt relationship between the family is supported by the fact that Mikhail states “Father’s been to see me” instead of hello because his cocky attitude is another attribute that harms their relationship. Petya is excluded in the family because he is only their half-brother, results in their corrupt