Competition is something that the American society thrives on. People will compete to be better physically, mentally, and financially. This competition is often seen between siblings. In “The Rich Brothe”r by Tobias Wolff two brothers named Pete and Donald partake in sibling rivalry. The dispute between the two ultimately derives from Petes success and Donalds lack of it in Petes eyes. There are many reasons for sibling rivalry and they can be seen through “The Rich Brother” and psychological studies.
Success is a relative word due to the fact that everyone has their own definition of it. This is an issue with Pete and Donald because success is very different to them. Pete would consider himself more successful because he has money and a steady job. Donald would consider himself the more successful brother because he has more value for life and is richer in values. Pete is constantly trying to force his success on his brother and get him to act the same. This upsets Donald and makes him feel belittled. Due to their contradicting views on success, the brothers argue over who has more of it.
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Parents can overlook their children as individuals and view them as one. Because of this the children will fight to express who they are and show the parents. According to Michigan Medicine, “They want to show that they are separate from their siblings”. Pete and Donald probably fought as young children trying to express themselves which led into their adult life effecting their relationship. They have opposite personalities and views on life, while trying to express themselves to each other they engage in controversial