In this passage, Paul is characterized as upset. He is talking back to his father and being disrespectful because he is angry about how he is being treated. He is upset that his father called him his boy instead of his son. He is also upset that his father will not let him make his own decisions about riding other people's horses. Paul is starting to feel more apart from his own family than he ever has before. In the story, Paul is realizing the differences between him and his white family.
