Focus question: Forgiveness in Families

Question: Who has the more accurate view of Cam’s character, Val or the mother? Explain. Is Val’s feelings towards Cam justified? Comment.

Vale has a more accurate view of cam than her mother. In the first half of the story it is made clear of Val’s feelings towards Cam. She looks straight past his innocence and sees his laziness, lack of work ethic, selfishness, and greed. Here are some examples of Cams’s true character, “He got his first job as an usher…. He had to quit because of his darkness-phobia…. It didn’t interfere with him going on his own to the movies, he was quite fond of them.” (p.95&96) Cam was basically given a job on a silver platter and quit using a poor excuse. If Cam really had this phobia, he would not be in the movie theater whatsoever. Here is another example, “He had been offered a job in northern Québec if he could get the money together to get up there. Mother sent it. He sent word the job had folded, but did not sent back all the money.” (p.96) Cam lied to his mom, and took her money. He is manipulative and takes advantage of his mom for his own benefit. Here is one last example, “Cam and his two friends going to start a turkey farm…. The turkeys were drowned in a flood, after mother sent him the money and we had to go against our netter judgment” (p.97) this example is similar to the one prior. Cam continues to lie and manipulate his mother.

Val’s feeling towards her brother are justified. She has every right to be antagonized with cam. Cam has been a burden on Val her entire life. “He was born the first day I started school…. Al, the other kids had mothers with them and where was mine?” (p.94) although this may have not been Cam’s fault directly, it he was still the one took Val’s mom away on the first day of school. This gives Vale a right to be angry. What I think irritates Val as much as her brother, is the fact that her mom does not see his true character. It may be the fact the she will want to protect Cam and love him unconditionally because he is her son, or she is not quite up to par with Val’s intellect. Here is an example, “He stayed home permanently after being caught in a cheating ring in grade 10…. Mother said he did it to make himself popular, because he had asthma and couldn’t take part in sports…. He had a lot to contend with, his asthma and no dad. He never did intentionally hurt a soul.” (p.95&97) I too have been in a similar position to Vale. In grade 7 I had a teacher was extremely lazy and overall not a good teacher. To my parents however, she seemed to be a saint. She was very nice at parent teacher interview giving my parents the impression she was a good teacher. They never quite saw her in the same light that I did every day, just like Val. I also know someone who follows a similar lifestyle to cam. His name is Gabe, and he was my Dad’s friend growing up Kamloops. He does not have true job, but he makes money by playing in video game tournaments. He belongs to a small religious group, but has some qualities of a cult (unconventional rituals and odd dress code). An example of cam religious believes is, “He wears a rough brown robe that looks like it is made out sack…. He has all sorts of chains, medallions, crosses, elk teeth and whatnot” (p.97) Although Gabe does not wear those things exactly, his clothing styles are still quite unorthodox.