Tim Parrish

“And in that moment, I hated him, for hitting me, for making Bob go to war, for being an adult in a place that made no sense. But mostly I hated him for being weak the way a child sees weakness, hated him for being unable to solve complexity with a simple gesture, hated him because when he held Mr. Ramos I had seen the limitations of strength” (Parrish 32).

                I believe Tim Parrish’s “It pours” is a coming of age story. Jeb, the narrator and protagonist, lives with his mother and his father. His brother, Bob, enlisted to the army and sent a tape home describing his troubles and his concerns, though it was not intended to be heard by his family. His mother blames his father for not stopping Bob from going to war.

                I believe there were two very interested highlights from this story. The first is the parallel between Jeb’s father, Mr. Ramos, and their families. Both Jeb’s father and Mr. Ramos have “lost” their sons per se, and both seem to blame themselves for it. Mr. Ramos’ son was sent to prison after being arrested for a “marijuana bust”. To that end, I thought it was interesting how Jeb’s father blames Mr. Ramos in the beginning when he states “Ramos shoula kept a firm hand on that boy” (Parrish 12), but refuses to accept the blame for sending Bob to war, claiming that he made his own choice. Both Jeb’s father and Mr. Ramos blame themselves for the conditions of their sons, though neither admits it.

                The second is the manner in which the father’s choose to relieve themselves of their grief, thus adding to the parallel. Jeb’s father continuously cleans and works on the house, though Jeb insists there is nothing left to clean or work on. Mr. Ramos works on his car, starting it four times a day since his son went to prison, a sound Jeb continuously watches out for and takes comfort in. (This part is driving me crazy because I have so many theories on what it might mean but so little evidence). I believe these are both exemplary of the guilt of both of their fathers. Similarly, I believe this comes to light at the end when Mr. Ramos is trying to save his car and confronts Jeb’s father by asking “Who you think you are? You think you’re better than I am?” (Parrish 31), implying that, though his son went to prison and Jeb’s brother went to war, they are equal in the sense that they have both failed as fathers. For Jeb, this brings his father’s weaknesses to light, particularly when he has nothing to say after that scene in the garage. In that moment, he realizes the unfairness and inconsistency of the world, hating his father for being unable to control it in a way he previously thought he could. When his father held Mr. Ramos, he had seen the thread of weakness that tied them together. In that sense, this is a coming of age story for Jeb.