Sons for the Return Home

            Within the reading of Sons for the Return Home by Albert Wendt, readers can find a question of relationships and how they are in direction correlation to what is considered a home. Within the first few chapter, multiple interpersonal relationships either reveal themselves or are foreshadowed with initial interactions as context. I immediately noticed a relationship between family i.e. father, sons, mother; a relationship between what could turn out to be lovers; and a relationship between oneself. In our class discussions so far, we have geared our perceptions on the question of relationships and their connection to home towards family and intruders the most. For this particular novel, I want to propose the question of do intimate relationships with a lover help define both a home and oneself, and if so how does it define either of the two? 
            I chose to focus on relationships within this reading because the pose questions that can not only further uncover the interworking’s of a character but also the connection that character has to another being and the place where that relationship blossomed. Ideas of masculinity, femininity, sexual identity, power, affection, harmony and conflict continue to persist in many facets of this novel. While these ideas are fluid throughout connections with multiple characters, it is most heightened when involving a “unapproved” of relationship. The heightened emotions that take place between the boy and girl give us readers much insight to not only who the main character is but how his connections shape his meanings of his seemingly foreign home. 
            One of the beginning scenes that first sparked the idea of romantic relationships vs. interpersonal relationship came early on in the novel. In the beginning of chapter four, the narrator speaks of the boy and his popularity among the school yard girls. His first sexual experience is described as well as his reputation as being a “ladies man” or player”. I noticed a pattern between his internal struggle with the lack of connection he felt to these girls and the obligation to live up to his reputation “by giving them what he wanted”. The façade puts on to keep up this appearance shows that in turn he is not genuinely happy with the internal feelings of the situation, but feels as though he must present himself in a certain manner. It was as if he was initially expecting his popularity with the school girls to bring him both status and happiness, however he soon realized that with status may not come internal satisfaction or happiness. 
            A similar struggle with internal verse external happiness comes in the same chapter when the principle praises the boy to his Samoan parents for being ‘the best Samoan student our school has ever had’ (12). The boy saw the excitement on his parents faces, and initially was proud to be called the best, however he soon realized that being the best Samoan did not necessarily mean being the best, and he soon turned this into a negative internalization.  
            In summary, both of these situation show the internal struggle and conflict that the boy faces early on in a place he may call home but does not necessarily have an overwhelming connection to. The idea of intimate relationships creating status but not fulfilling an internal void or emotion connects to the idea of not feeling fulfilled with being the best “Samoan student”. Both show the struggle of identity, in which the perspective of the situation of a person looking in on the boy is much different than the one of his own. 

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