Parent-Child Relationships

The only explicit parent-child relationship dealt with in the novel is Dovaleh's with his mother and father, yet it forms the most significant portions of the novel. Dovaleh has a positive though somewhat uneasy relationship with his mother; he shows his devotion to her by entertaining her with his handstands and storytelling, while his father shows it by proving his ability to provide through financial ledgers and plans to accumulate wealth, as well as taking over domestic tasks traditionally done by women. In contrast, Dovaleh and his father conflict far more often, with Dovaleh's father even punishing Dovaleh through belt lashings for his odd behavior.

Dovaleh and his father's conflicts may be Oedipal in nature; though Dovaleh never hints at any sexual feelings toward his mother, his glowing appraisal of her may be why his marriages to his three wives all fail, as he is...