“‘We Presents Us With Unsympathetic Characters Essay Example

party being held by the new owners of her old house and writes, "We're raising him to know what's right."Perhaps it may appear unjust, but one cannot help but question the parents. The older Eva shows more understanding compared to her younger self, who appears to be very oblivious. ("While looking down Fifth Avenue as my stomach grew, I would be astounded to realize: Every one of these individuals came into existence through a woman's genitalia...")

The text suggests that the author tends to suppress glaring facts that are obvious to most people, irritatingly presenting them as original insights. The author is self-critical when discussing the reasons for their fear of having a child, admitting to vanity and pretending otherwise. They also state that they have always believed the worst of Kevin, listing his wrongdoings and justifying their suspicions. However, they do not suspect their son as the perpetrator. This passage divides the reader due to the length of the author's suspicions and their admission of false accusations. The author's perception of Franklin is shaped by their own views since he never responds to their writings.

It is difficult not to view Franklin as naive based on his beliefs about the United States and his relationship with Kevin. Eva imagines Franklin thinking that he had done everything right in raising a good son and living a good life in America. However, the emotional language used suggests the destruction of an ideal family that never actually existed.

The question arises as to whether Franklin should be seen as a fool or a well-meaning idealist. Kevin sees him as "Mister Plastic," a nickname given to him by a police officer

after he warns Kevin for throwing bricks onto the highway. Kevin believes that Franklin is a fraud who presents a cheerful and perfect image, but it's all fake.

The text suggests that Franklin and Kevin both have a lack of understanding and knowledge about their loved ones. Franklin's love for his son is questioned as he doesn't seem to know who Kevin really is and compares him to a character from a TV show. Similarly, Franklin shows a lack of knowledge about Celia when asked about how she might have lost her eye. The text argues that Kevin's actions on Thursday may be influenced by his constant struggle to meet his father's expectations of being a perfect son. Kevin expresses his disinterest in the activities his father values and criticizes their heart-to-heart talks. Eva realizes that Franklin sees parenting as a series of actions that can be learned from a book, believing that as long as he does the right things, everything will be fine.

According to Eva, Kevin plays along with Franklin's fantasy in a way that is "too much like a regular kid; almost studied... You'd be so enchanted that I couldn't bring myself to raise the possibility that he was pulling your leg." When you walked in, his face changed. His features took on the permanent expression of startled happiness that you see on aging starlets who have had too much plastic surgery. This also indicates Eva's wit. He would enthusiastically say, "Gosh, that's great! Another car ad!" The cliched nature of these exclamations suggests his insincerity. Eva believes that Franklin's attitude towards Kevin, which contrasts with her own, is not based on a

real understanding of Kevin but rather on an idealized view of a son. As she says, "I did sometimes consider that, between us, I was the more interested in Kevin... I mean, interested in Kevin as Kevin really was, not Kevin as Your Son, who had continually to battle against the formidable fantasy paragon in your head." Eva is much more generous towards Franklin and asks, "Is it called naivete when you're naive on purpose?" Her description of Franklin is both mocking and affectionate, referring to him as a fearless, trusting consumer who only reads labels to make sure there are plenty of additives. Additionally, she defends Franklin against Kevin's attacks. In response to Kevin calling him an asshole, Eva says, "Don't you ever say that."

"Don't you ever, ever say that. Not once, not ever, not one more time!'" - She refuses to let him criticize Franklin, despite her own frequent criticism: "You made such an effort to be a caring, loving father. However, I did warn you that children are highly perceptive to deceit, so it's unsurprising that he mocks your genuine interest." The main difference between her and Kevin's feelings towards Franklin is that Eva doesn't hate him - he may have irritated her, but she does love him, which is why she never left. Their contrasting approaches to Kevin result in conflict between Eva and Franklin. One early instance of this is due to Eva experiencing mastitis, as described in the letter dated December 18th, 2000. She began to feel unusually tired, viewing new motherhood as "bewildering despair." She expresses her resentment at being "trapped all day with chaos," while Franklin enjoys

his carefree outings in his baby-blue pickup truck, browsing for picturesque farmland with cows of the right color. This juxtaposition highlights the lightheartedness of his work ("carefree outings," "browsing") in contrast to the challenges of raising a young child ("trapped at home").

When he comes back, she feels ignored. She appreciates that he is becoming a more attentive father, but she is the only one in their loft who understands the importance of saying hello. The bitterness in her tone is evident when she mentions that if their roles were reversed, she believes she would be expected to completely abandon her other responsibilities.

Later on, she describes Franklin's treatment of her using violent language. For example, she says he poked the thermometer in her mouth and then left to change Kevin's diaper. She also talks about how he stabbed her with a glance.

Eva is also frustrated with Franklin's refusal to acknowledge how difficult Kevin is. Kevin cries constantly, and on that particular day, he put on an impressive performance. Eva uses her wit as a way to distance herself from the situation. She believes that Kevin's behavior stems from his anger at being alive, as suggested by his seemingly content appearance that is actually deceiving.The text suggests that the person viewing Kevin has negative perceptions of him, considering him as "crabby," "fussy," and "a little ill-tempered." The view also seems to find Eva's attitude irrational, addressing her by name and using the word "Listen" to imply that she needs to calm down. Additionally, the person states that they believe she is genuinely perceiving Kevin's hostility, as emphasized by the use of the word "perception" in

italics. They also mention that Eva's eye movements towards the ceiling indicate a sense of exasperation.

These thoughts reflect disordered thinking and indicate that the person expressing them is under a significant amount of stress ("I saw no one and rarely got out because Kevin's rages, in public, were not socially acceptable"). Additionally, she states "daily, I faced a purple churn of insatiable fury while rehearsing to myself with dull incomprehension, I'm supposed to love this." Many find it difficult to comprehend her attitude towards her own child, which makes her appear unsympathetic. The conversation between them - "'Then why do you always take his side?'" "'He's only seven weeks old! He's not big enough to have a side!'" - is representative: regardless of whether she has reasons or not, Eva tends to suspect that Kevin has malicious intentions, while Franklin views him as a normal child (which may be sensible at this moment but less so in the future). When they realize how high her fever really is, "You looked at me. You looked at Kevin, for once torn between loyalties" (the use of "For once" implies that he often sides with Kevin) - when Eva emerges victorious, she sees Franklin as the man she originally married, "with that manliness I'd always adored, you ignored him". Once again, Kevin is primarily portrayed through Eva's perspective. We cannot determine if Eva attributes characteristics like "He strode out of the room, squirt gun swinging at his side with the arrogant nonchalance I associated with airplane hijackers" to her four-year-old son. Both Kevin and Eva perceive malice in each other.

Eva believes that Kevin appreciates her violent actions towards

her. She questions whether he is describing his thoughts at the age of six or projecting later feelings onto them. Eva believes that he genuinely feels this way, as she senses a different quality in his affirmation. The use of the word "purred" implies that Kevin takes pleasure in her violence and also comes across as threatening. According to Eva, Kevin's intense hatred for life is deeply menacing. Eva tells Franklin's parents that Kevin goes beyond the normal limits, as he only causes anguish to those with a conscience and punishes those with hopes and attachments to sever. She notes that he cares for nothing, demonstrated by his first words being "I don't like that." When Eva considers things through Kevin's perspective, scarves and hats suddenly seem stupid and unnecessary. She questions the purpose of having them, using the lack of a question mark to emphasize the statement's sense of pointlessness.

Eva believes that Kevin is upset by "favorites" because he doesn't have any of his own. He believes that all of his victims enjoyed something, but Kevin sees their enjoyment as trivial and comical. However, Kevin has never found impenetrable passions amusing, they have always made him angry. One of the most captivating parts of the book is when Kevin falls ill at the age of ten.

The illness causes him to become weak and I was surprised by his lack of resistance when I assisted him to bed. It was the first time he showed any affection towards me in ten years as his mother. Similarly, he expresses liking for something for the first time when he whispered, "The spaceman ones. I like the monkey

in the rocket." For two weeks, he becomes a completely normal child. I gained an understanding of how much energy it must have taken him to be this other boy all the time. Eva also realizes that beneath his anger, there is a deep sense of despair. He wasn't just angry.

Kevin's sadness when he is sick causes him to avoid seeing Franklin. Eva believes this is because he lacks the energy to provide the level of intimacy Franklin demands and also to resist it. Kevin went to great lengths to make himself appealing to Franklin, indicating a strong and yearning desire to please him.The irony of this passage lies in Eva unknowingly planting the seeds of Thursday's events while reading her son Robin Hood, which is particularly poignant considering her statement at the end of the letter, "I was all for it." Kevin, right from the start, takes possession of the issue of High School Shootings by assuming an authoritative demeanor whenever the subject is brought up, annoying his mother. His explanations for the phenomenon, though somewhat vague ("Maybe his future is real to him...Maybe that's the problem"), are more thought-provoking than his parents' simplistic views ("The problem is guns," "The answer, if there is one, is the parents"). He rejects the hollow middle-class life his parents present to him as lacking meaning, a sentiment shared by many privileged young individuals of their race and socioeconomic status. There is no common ground between Kevin and his parents when it comes to politics or religion (he is raised without any religious affiliation - he finds celebrating Christmas to be "totally empty"). The Plaskett/Khatchadourian family represents a

certain segment of the United States - their affluent New York suburbs and their house are described as an "antiseptic wasteland." However, Kevin is drawn to emptiness itself: Eva suggests that "the 'purity' he admired in the computer virus" might explain Thursday's events.

Despite the societal pressure to find a profound lesson in every senseless act of murder, the protagonist must have meticulously analyzed the potential consequences of his own actions. However, as the narrative advances, both Eva and Kevin undergo transformations. Kevin gradually adopts a more conventional demeanor, appearing almost ordinary in his final letter. As he approaches adulthood, he starts behaving like a confused and abandoned little boy. Eva perceives this change as "extraordinary" while she herself becomes more direct and nurturing, which contrasts with her typically detached nature. Additionally, Kevin no longer exhibits fascination with meticulously memorizing details of each killing spree. Reflecting on past events, Kevin vaguely recalls feeling compassion for the victim, admitting his own vulnerability.

"He's been deceived," states Eva. She confirms that he no longer attempts to provide justifications like he did for the documentary makers. He despondently admits, "I used to believe I knew." Eva's response to this revelation depicts a significant moment of spontaneity, as she reaches across the table and holds his hand. This is the first genuine gesture she has made towards him since she broke his arm. Similarly, the coffin he crafts for Celia's eye marks his inaugural creation, signifying a shift from destructive tendencies towards a more positive inclination. This transformation in Kevin, along with his newfound vulnerability, evokes sympathy as he now "clings to me childishly" in a way he never did

during his actual childhood. Ultimately, all three characters possess unsympathetic qualities, yet they also display relatable characteristics. Kevin and Eva elicit sympathy due to their development into more vulnerable and well-rounded individuals. Franklin lacks the opportunity for such growth, but his death garners sympathy as evidenced by the expression of disappointment on his face, allowing us to comprehend his deservingness of pity.

This development of Eva's character and the hardships she endures ultimately elicit our sympathy for the characters.