At the beginning of Sport of Kings, the author presents the question, “How far from your father can you run?” (3) Both Henry and Henrietta try to take a different path than the one chosen by their fathers but, as Morgan illustrates, they only find themselves repeating their fathers’ choices.
Henry wants to be the opposite of his father in both business and family matters, yet he ends up embracing the lessons his father taught. Henry remarks early upon how he will be different towards his children, only to immediately realize that his children will simply be more of him, while he takes the role of John Henry. (13) Henry wants to change, but he knows in his heart that he cannot run far enough from his family's legacy to make a change. Yet, at the end of the section, Henry leaves his father at dinner, calling him a tyrant and pledging to one day change from what he has done. (91-92) Once he returns, we see him giving speeches about legacy and teaching Henrietta about the world through his eyes just as John Henry did. (100/127) While Henry wanted nothing more than to leave his father behind, he ended up running the Forge property, teaching his next of kin, and acting distant toward his wife just as his father had done. He made some changes to the path, but he seems hesitant to accept that he has come to the same destination.
As Henrietta matures, she repeats the family’s pattern. After witnessing the horses crashing at the race, Henrietta mentions that she and Henry are no different than “kings of coal” who sent workers without benefits into poor conditions that led to their death. (167) Henrietta has serious reservations about the family business, additionally expressed through discussions about evolution, but she continues her work after meeting with Penn. Her father talks with her about her role in the world, and she remarks, “This is the kingdom come and it is his, I am his, I become his..., I become It.” (182) In this moment, Henrietta comes to a realization: she can run in a different direction than her father for as long as she wants,; but, she will always be directed back by the presence of her father. However, when Allmon and Henrietta have their first meeting, Henrietta is quick to mention her father’s racism saying, “We’re not all like that”. (324) While Henrietta acknowledges the inevitability of legacy, she still attempts to separate herself from her father any way she can. Morgan is saying that these characters realize their similarities yet try to find anything special about themselves to prove that they are individuals.
One recurring theme in The Sport of Kings that has really resonated with me is the repeated term “It.” From what I have gathered, “It” refers to the famous Forge family lineage and the honor and pride that rides on the Forge name. This family has established a dynasty rooted in the traditional Southern values of respecting your elders and passing down the family farm and business from generation to generation. As John Henry explained to Henry, “we still know the land…we still know the names of all our forefathers. Family actually means something here” (56). This theme reappears with Henrietta’s statement, “This is the kingdom come and it is his, I am his, I become his… I become It” (182). This term “It” is dehumanizing – it defines Henry as just another branch on the Forge family tree, with Henrietta as the one lonely leaf stemming off of that branch whose sole purpose is to just continue producing more Forges and keep the family line alive. Nick’s post reminded me of this theme by demonstrating how it is connected to the “how far from your father can you run?” quote (3). I agree that Henrietta’s “I become It” moment makes her recognize that no matter how far away she runs in a different direction from her father, she is doomed to just end up right back where she started because, in Henry’s eyes, she belongs to him – and that is the tragedy of “It.”
ReplyDeleteI don’t think Henry embraced his father’s teachings and values. I think John Henry was the only reference Henry really had of a father, so he used the teachings that have been ingrained in him since he was young to overall live his life when he becomes a father. However, some values and beliefs Henry developed are different than that of his father. For example, his father tells Henry that he’ll “never have an original thought, never be great…and it shouldn’t bother (him) one bit” (22). His father says that Henry will only be known as a Forge, more specifically as his father’s son. Nothing more. While Henry tried to not be his father or follow his teachings, Henry pulls out his best horse from racing, something that would finally make Henry great, and Mack says, “it’s better to be great and break down than to never be great at all” (508). This just shows that even in a decision that important, Henry still had his father’s teachings ingrained in him. However, John Henry’s views about women are somewhat different that Henry’s views. John Henry tells Henry that “women live a life of the body,” so they don’t do important things in life and are only there to tend to children and the household. While Henry is distant with his wife in a similar way to how John Henry was with his mother, he beliefs about women are different, probably because he has a daughter. He tells Henrietta that she “won’t be like any other girl,” suggesting that he will make sure she turn into a women that John Henry would not approve of, one that is more than just a person who takes care of children and the household (121).
ReplyDelete