Question

Why does Edwin want to contact his father? How does he react when he finds him, and why do you think he responds in this way?

Answer 1

Answer:

1) Edwin wants to contact his father because he has been waiting a long time to learn about his cultural heritage.

2) When he finally contacts his father, he cuts off communication with him.

3) Edwin responds this way because he is overwhelmed and somewhat scared. Scared that he may not be Native enough and also scared of what a real connection would feel like with his father.

Explanation:

This is from the book “There There: Edwin Black” written by Tommy Orange.

It is a story about a 30year old Masters Degree holder who was lives with his mother, overweight and spends majority of his time on the internet. At that time, he didn’t know who is father was and he tried searching for him on the internet.

He had been waiting to learn about his native heritage, searching for clues and trying to figure out things himself.

But after connecting with his biological father and learning about his Native background, he becomes overwhelmed and scared. He was scared that he may not be Native enough as he had imagined and also scared of how a relationship with his father would be.