All
of Dee Moray’s life it seemed she had wanted to be an actress, and she worked
hard to do so as well. Although it wasn’t always the easiest profession, she
stuck with it, and faced many struggles and obstacles along the way. I believe
it is safe to say that she wouldn’t have continued overcoming these challenges
if she didn’t enjoy what she did.
Her
son Pat, also had the knack for performing, and again, it was not the most
profitable career choice he could’ve made. However, it generally made him
happy, and he was willing to forgo a lavish lifestyle, to do what he loved.
His
relationship with Dee was very complicated; he had a difficult childhood, and
he found that music was something he truly enjoyed and could express himself
with. Dee understood that, as she came across one of his songs written about
never knowing his father.
Through
entertaining, both Dee and Pat sought to make something of themselves, and to
be known. “On the train Pat kept thinking about Edinburgh, about all those
desperate entertainers giving out handbills in the streets, about the buskers
and spires and churches and castles and cliffs, the scramble to get higher, to
be seen, the cycle of creation and rebellion, everyone assuming they were
saying something new, or doing something new, something profound- when the
truth was that it had all been done a million billion times. It was all he’d
ever wanted. To be big. To matter.”
(Walter 169). However, throughout the book it seemed as though Dee didn’t quite
approve of Pat’s lifestyle. Although he had made mistakes along the way, he was
ultimately trying to accomplish the same goal his mother was, so why was she
rarely supportive of his dream?
I think that almost all parents want what is best for their child. Dee struggled her entire life as an actress, and had to give up on her dream when life got in the way. She was never able to fulfill her goal of being a famous Hollywood actress, and she experienced first-hand the toll that consistently being disappointed could have on her.
ReplyDeleteAs a mother to only one son, Pat, she felt a great need to protect him at all costs. She knew that if he pursued a career in music, chances are he would end up disappointed like her. I do not think she realized that music and performing was something her son really loved with all his heart. She probably viewed him as immature due to his past which involved substance abuse, and was worried that he would end up with a life void of anything meaningful.
Even though it may seem like Dee was rarely supportive of Pat's dream, I honestly believe she had his best-interest in mind throughout his entire life, and did not want him to have to feel like she did- disappointed and angry.
I think that Dee just wanted her son to succeed. She was very happy with the career path that she chose but I think she's also very well aware of all the problems that she had to face. Whether or not she knows how serious her son is about his career, parents are always going to make sure that their children don't make the same mistakes that they made. Dee is just being extra cautious and being hard on him so that it will help him understand if he's actually serious about his future career goals. I think that Dee is being supportive but in a way so that he can become more successful than she ever was.
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