Invisible Man: How does familial conflict reveal the protagonist's character?

Family is a sparse topic in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, so familial conflict is not exactly a meaty subject of conversation, much less analysis. However, one of the most poignant characters in the novel is the narrator's grandfather, whose only dialogue takes half a page but continues to influence his grandson heavily throughout his life. The narrator begins the story of his grandfather by stating, "I am not ashamed of my grandparents for having been slaves. I am only ashamed of myself for having at one time been ashamed." Here the reader can view the connection between the narrator and his grandparents; he even remarks "I was in the cards," meaning that the oppression of his ancestors has continued through the years to the oppression he feels now. The narrator also says that his grandfather was "an odd old guy," and adds "I am told I take after him." Ellison's use of common social constructs like familial resemblance helps the reader identify with the narrator's relationship with his grandfather, and also foreshadows the rest of the novel. Often, a child is told they look like or take after a relative and begin to favor that relative due to it-- Ellison adopts this typical phrase and uses it to create a key connection between grandfather and grandson. Other than the narrator's grandfather, we don't get much more family from the novel. This creates an interesting dynamic, as most of the narrator's life is spent in a hostile environment with no one compelled to support him. Sometimes, man can only turn to his family for love and comfort, or even to find a sense of identity; in Invisible Man, we can observe the disparity between our own familial experiences and the narrators.

King Lear: How does familial conflict reveal the protagonist's character?

King Lear is the quintessential story of betrayal and loyalty, centering on two families: the Earl of Gloucester and his sons, Edgar and Edmund, and King Lear and his daughters Regan, Goneril and Cordelia. Familial interactions are basically the theme of this Shakespearian play.

Edmund is the bastard son of Gloucester, and he takes this title to heart-- his schemes to gain power are driven by his status as "outcast" among his family. Edmund is smart, sly, and charming, as evidenced by the affections of Regan and Goneril. His good looks and suave manner are a stark contrast to his betrayal of his own father. Edmund is easy to sympathize with, as his opening monologue talks about his ostracism and how he deserves all of the opportunities afforded to his brother, Edgar. He responds by framing Edgar and driving Gloucester to his eventual death, proving him to be treacherous. However, Edmund almost seems to repent for his misdoings at the end of the play, conceding that he ordered Cordelia's death; this suggests that his exile from acceptable society may have caused his actions instead of him being truly evil. 

Edgar is pretty much functionless at the beginning of the play, other than as Edmund's pawn. After being framed in a scheme to overthrow his father, Edgar must disguise himself as a poor beggar ("Tom O'Bedlam") in order to escape persecution. Instead of leaving the country, Edgar stays and ends up helping his own father, Gloucester, after he is blinded, including warning him off of a suicide attempt. Though Edgar seems weak or dull at first, he reveals a keen intelligence and creativity that serves him well. His loving nature allows him to give mercy to a father that believed him to be disloyal, and he is one of the heroes at the end of the play.

Goneril and Regan are the elder, less favored daughters of King Lear; they are also the most despicable of people. When their aging father gives them his land in return for their professed "love", they drive him out of his own kingdom simply because they find him annoying and want the rest of his power. Throughout the play, Regan and Goneril ignore all loyalty, betraying spouses and each other. Their characters are cruel and witchy from the start, supported by their waspish tendencies.

Cordelia, on the other hand, is Lear's favorite daughter, who refuses to publicly proclaim her love and is thus exiled. Even after this banishment, she continues to love her ailing father, even though her return home results in her death. Cordelia risks everything for her true love of her family, revealing a self-sacrificing and devoted character.

Wuthering Heights: How does familial conflict reveal the protagonist's character?

Wuthering Heights is a veritable cacophany of familial discord, especially because it centers on two families becoming dysfunctionally intertwined through both loving and malicious marriages. The first conflict is between Heathcliff, an orphan who has been adopted by one Mr. Earnshaw, and Mr. Earnshaw's children, Hindley and Catherine. Hindley and Catherine are abusive and cruel to Heathcliff, who has become Mr. Earnshaw's favorite after the death of his wife. However, Catherine soon grows to love Heathcliff, and they become inseparable, further excluding Hindley. Catherine displays a judgemental and mean nature when Heathcliff joins their family, but ends up revealing a vivacious character and an affectionate disposition that continues to define her throughout the novel. At this point, we can't really assess Heathcliff's character; he is kind and doting with Catherine, but stoically endures the bile Hindley continually throws at him. 

Hindley is sent away to college, but after the death of his father, he returns to Wuthering Heights as its new master and forces Heathcliff to work in the fields like a common laborer. When his wife dies,Hindley turns to alcoholism, and his treatment of Heathcliff worsens. At the same time, Cathy has drifted away from Heathcliff-- she has accepted her social standing as a lady, and become engaged to Edgar Linton despite the relationship between her and Heathcliff. Heathcliff's reaction to this is to leave Wuthering Heights altogether, which shows that he has problems with moving on from concrete events (like Cathy's marriage) and that he has not accepted his circumstances in life. Consequently, upon Heathcliff's return, he begins exacting revenge on all those he feels have wronged him. He encourages the gambling and drinking of Hindley, who eventually dies and thus leaves the mansion to Heathcliff; he also marries Isabella Linton, Edgar's sister, in order to put himself in line for inheritance of Thrushcross Grange. However, Heathcliff still loves Cathy, and when she dies, he is anguished. Heathcliff's character is cunning and merciless towards those he despises, but he still has the capacity to love Cathy, suggesting that he is not a wholly evil character; also, the audience can empathize with him due to the nature of his treatment as a child. Throughout his life, Heathcliff continues to act cruelly towards those around him, including his own relatives. This indicates that he was mentally damaged by his childhood, and carried the effects of his abuse into his adulthood. 

Oedipus Rex: How does familial conflict reveal the protagonist's character?

Oedipus Rex is an interesting take on family, because Oedipus is constantly ignorant of who his blood relatives are. Baby Oedipus is left for dead by his parents in order to avoid a terrifying prophecy. Thus, Oedipus grows up with the royal family of a neighboring kingdom, and believes them to be his real parents. Little to no conflict arises within this happy unit, until Oedipus is told that he will kill his father and marry his mother. In order to save his family, Oedipus leaves the city. Here, we see that Oedipus is unselfish; he is willing to desert his title and his home for the sake of his parents, whom he loves. He also places a large amount of trust in his parents-- when a drunk man tells him he's adopted, they are insulted and reassure him that he is their son. When he finds out that he endangers them, he sets out immediately.

At a crossroads, Oedipus encounters a man who will not yield to him and even tries to force him off the road. They fight, and Oedipus ends up killing the man and his companions. Unknowingly, Oedipus has just killed his own father, proving that though he is loyal, he is temperamental and unbalanced as well. Rather than respectfully deferring to the man, he insists upon battling, and shows his violent side. Upon arriving in Thebes, Oedipus proceeds to marry the conveniently widowed queen, Jocasta, and have children with her. However, the prophecy soon asserts itself in the form of a plague on the city, and Oedipus' misdeeds are revealed to him with dramatic aplomb. Jocasta runs into the palace and kills herself, prompting Oedipus to stab out his own eyes with the pins from her dress. This action is certainly in response to his own transgressions, but also a testament to the fact that he loved Jocasta, even if he loved her in a wife-sense instead of a mother-sense. His grief over her suicide is a cruel consequence of the prophecy taking everything from Oedipus; we then can see his character to be well-intentioned and pure, but grievously disfigured by a cruel fate.

All in the Family

Family is an integral part of life that holds many different forms. It takes many forms-- different religions, countries, and races all have unique family models that can vary greatly or not at all. However, one thing is inevitable when dealing with families: conflict. Emotions run high when people are inextricably linked together, and even those who love and adore each other can clash when the situation goes awry. Thus, my big question is: 

How does familial conflict reveal a protagonist's character?

Literature is so rich with complex characters that I wanted to find a way to isolate some of their most obvious traits. Part of my inspiration was the saying that advises, "If you go to lunch with someone, observe how they treat the waiter." Our attitudes towards our family reveal our deepest thoughts, feelings, inclinations, and, most importantly, our true selves. Even when our family acts out of love, we sometimes react in harsh ways that indicate an inner issue or doubt; conversely, when family members are spiteful or malicious, the character's feelings may remain affectionate, therefore proving their loyalty. Essentially, man's responses to the actions of those he calls kin denote his own psyche, and by analyzing this in multiple pieces of literature, we can deepen our understanding of character motives and development.