The Inescapable Family Line

One of the main themes of C.E. Morgan’s “Sport of Kings” is summed up in its opening, “How far away from your father can you run?” (3), as the origin stories from both the Forge and Shaughnessy family lines show the children being unable to escape from their fathers. In this way, there is a parallel between Henry Forge and Allmon Shaughnessy, as both are driven by ambition that only creates parallels between themselves and their fathers. Henry resembles John Henry in his racism and way of raising his daughter. When Henry begins to homeschool Henrietta, he notes, “The reality is White men saved Black people in this country,” (128). This is nearly the exact thing John Henry tries to teach Henry when he says, “The black race has always depended on our guidance to steward them into lives worth leading” (50). Thus, in living by the same ideals, Henry as an adult proves to be very similar to his father. In a similar way, Allmon turns out to be like his father when he leaves Henrietta even after she tells him she is pregnant, choosing the money Henry offered him over taking care of his family, as he walks into the trailer and “didn’t look over his shoulder” (374), showing that he was leaving with no intent to return. This is a similar move to what his father made as Allmon notes that his father “came and went” (192). This shows the same apathy toward family Allmon shows when he leaves.

These similarities lead to the novel’s climax where both desire to be something other than their fathers, as the similarities between their fathers becomes clear through the loss of Henrietta for both characters. In Henry’s case, he reads Henrietta’s journal entries which bring him to the realization, “he had never rebelled against his father” (520). In noticing the lack of having “rebelled,” Henry appears to understand the negative ways his father shaped him. Similarly, Allmon realizes leaving Henrietta was similar to what his father did as, “Marie got used and abused by Mike Shaughnessy just like Henrietta got used and abused” (524). In using comparing the “abuse,” Allmon draws this parallel between his father and him.                               

However, Allmon’s killing himself and Henry’s final thoughts show that there is no escape from becoming like your father, as neither can steer themself in a new direction. Henry appears to still be striving for perfection, as his final observation is of Hellsmouth, noting “She was almost perfect. She was ready for more” (540). In saying she was “ready for more,” it is clear he is not finished trying to force his horse into perfection. Similarly, Allmon kills himself because he “left nothing to chance” (540). In saying this, he notes that he does not want to risk further becoming like his father by continuing his life. In this way both men seem unable to escape their fathers’ ways. Thus, the ending of the novel appears to suggest the answer to that beginning question: “not far.”