Describe the impact that Grandpa Yehezkel had on the family.
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Grandpa Yehezkel was a very large part of the family, even though he wasn’t an e immediate family member. The father of Michael, he pushed Michael to pursue his career and go as far as he could. Yehezkel was very cold towards his son, like Hannah was towards her son. “While Yehezkel Gonen addressed me in this tone of courteous helpfulness, with his son he barely exchanged two words” (Oz 31). Michael’s father was quite short with him, even though he did love him; he was unable to show affection because Michael’s whole life, he was there to push him. This had a direct affect on Michael and this is why Michael makes it his mission to bond with his son, because he and his father did not have that. Michael and his son had something special, more than Hannah did with him. “Why are they different?” “That’s why they are made, I can’t explain.” “Daddy, why don’t cats use blankets like us?” (Oz 108). Yair and Michael find a kitten and take him in. Yair asks Hannah why he doesn’t need a blanket and when her answer isn’t good enough, he goes right to Michael. This shows the strong bond he has with his father, and to him, his father knows everything, he is his role model, his idol. This makes Hannah resentful of Yehezkel because she wants to have this strong bond with her son, but her husband as been seen to take this role. She regrets that she can’t have the same bond her and her father had with her own son, and therefore she really doesn’t feel any type of feeling towards Yehezkel. She hates that Michael can look like him at times. Also, Yehezkel was the one that brought the name Zalman to their child. Hannah didn’t like that name from the beginning and the fact that Yehezkel really wanted it and Michael sort of felt very obligated to do so, made Hannah more resentful. “Michael very cautiously put forward the suggestion that the birth certificate should carry the double name, “Yair-Zalman.” (Oz 68). The name was not told to Yair until Yehezkel told him that that was his name and that is what he would be calling him. Because of this, they were also able to have a bond, which Hannah didn’t have with her son. “Zalman and Zalman are back” (Oz 128). Yehezkel had taken Yair out during the week the family went to visit him. They called each other Zalman and it was the way the two of them formed something special. Even though Hannah says she laughed, she hid all of the feelings of resentment because she knew that Michael greatly respected his father, and because she was his wife, she must do the same.
Grandpa Yehezkel was Michael’s father. Michael was not really close to his father, but he admired him all the same. Michael and his father’s relationship was the reason why Michael makes an effort to be so close to his son as Raphael has said. The Gonen family visited Grandpa Yehezkel for a six day holiday in the summer of 1955. Yehezkel was a very generous man and was very pleased that the family had come to visit him. “Please treat this apartment precisely as if it were your own” (Oz 127). He was a good host and instantly, on the first day, a friendship between him and Yair formed. “They would both get up at six in the morning, taking care not to wake Michael and me, dress and eat a light breakfast, and then go out together to stroll in the deserted streets” (Oz 128). Yair looked up to him and he enjoyed the time he spent with his grandfather. An amusing novelty was the name that Grandpa Yehezkel gave to Yair. “Your parents may call you Yair, but I shall call you Zalman, for Zalman is your real name” (Oz 128). Yair did not reject the name, but decided to call Grandpa the very same name. Hannah did not like calling Yair by this name and did not like the fact that Grandpa was calling her son that. Overall however, the family enjoyed their stay at Grandpa Yehezkel’s very much. His generosity and hospitality was good and the family loved the little presents he would give them. Unfortunately Grandpa Yehezkel passes away and the family is upset about it, especially Michael even though he was never really that close to his father. Upon hearing the news, Michael is more angry than upset. “It’s indecent, I tell you, Hannah, it’s cruel, it’s…cruel” (Oz 136). Grandpa Yehezkel was never close to his son Michael, but he still brought joy to the family. Hannah did not like him very much because Michael did not share the kind of relationship she had with her father, but that did not stop Michael from loving him. Yair began to admire him when they went on their vacation and started a bond between them. Regardless of who was close to whom in the family, Grandpa Yehezkel was a good man and played a major role in the family.
Donatello is right. Michael was never close to his father, and that is why he made such an effort to get closer to him. His son was a chance for him to prove that even though he didn’t have a close bond with his father, that it was still possible to do so for himself and his son. He wished so hard for Hannah to love him as he did. He felt it is obligation to make sure his son had the most love he could. “What I’m trying to say is, I’d like you to start… I don’t know quite how to explain this sort of sentiment” (Oz 142). Michael is telling Hannah that she’s got to be crazy for Yair. That she has to forget about everything else in the world and love him. That is why Hannah disliked Yehezkel so much. His lack of love for his son was the reason her husband outdid her in the love of their son. Hannah shows after Yehezkel’s death, how much discontent she has for him. “Absolutely. Not impossible. Only natural. You are his son. It’s horrible, Michael. Horrible” (Oz 232). Hannah is upset that Michael is like his father, and that he is defending him. Because he is dead, he finds it his obligation to keep him alive and because Yehezkel is the reason that her husband has grown so close with their son, it makes her angry that he stands up for him, angry that even after his death, he is still alive through Michael. Yair and Michael were brought happiness from Yehezkel. Michael was able to grow close to his son, something he never had as a child. Yair was able to get love from all angles, his father and his grandfather, and was able to learn new things and have anything he needed. For Hannah, Yehezkel’s presence in the family was bad, and she was the only one in the family that did not benefit from having Yehezkel in their life.
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Grandpa Yehezkel was a very large part of the family, even though he wasn’t an e immediate family member. The father of Michael, he pushed Michael to pursue his career and go as far as he could. Yehezkel was very cold towards his son, like Hannah was towards her son. “While Yehezkel Gonen addressed me in this tone of courteous helpfulness, with his son he barely exchanged two words” (Oz 31). Michael’s father was quite short with him, even though he did love him; he was unable to show affection because Michael’s whole life, he was there to push him. This had a direct affect on Michael and this is why Michael makes it his mission to bond with his son, because he and his father did not have that. Michael and his son had something special, more than Hannah did with him. “Why are they different?” “That’s why they are made, I can’t explain.” “Daddy, why don’t cats use blankets like us?” (Oz 108). Yair and Michael find a kitten and take him in. Yair asks Hannah why he doesn’t need a blanket and when her answer isn’t good enough, he goes right to Michael. This shows the strong bond he has with his father, and to him, his father knows everything, he is his role model, his idol. This makes Hannah resentful of Yehezkel because she wants to have this strong bond with her son, but her husband as been seen to take this role. She regrets that she can’t have the same bond her and her father had with her own son, and therefore she really doesn’t feel any type of feeling towards Yehezkel. She hates that Michael can look like him at times. Also, Yehezkel was the one that brought the name Zalman to their child. Hannah didn’t like that name from the beginning and the fact that Yehezkel really wanted it and Michael sort of felt very obligated to do so, made Hannah more resentful. “Michael very cautiously put forward the suggestion that the birth certificate should carry the double name, “Yair-Zalman.” (Oz 68). The name was not told to Yair until Yehezkel told him that that was his name and that is what he would be calling him. Because of this, they were also able to have a bond, which Hannah didn’t have with her son. “Zalman and Zalman are back” (Oz 128). Yehezkel had taken Yair out during the week the family went to visit him. They called each other Zalman and it was the way the two of them formed something special. Even though Hannah says she laughed, she hid all of the feelings of resentment because she knew that Michael greatly respected his father, and because she was his wife, she must do the same.
Grandpa Yehezkel was Michael’s father. Michael was not really close to his father, but he admired him all the same. Michael and his father’s relationship was the reason why Michael makes an effort to be so close to his son as Raphael has said. The Gonen family visited Grandpa Yehezkel for a six day holiday in the summer of 1955. Yehezkel was a very generous man and was very pleased that the family had come to visit him. “Please treat this apartment precisely as if it were your own” (Oz 127). He was a good host and instantly, on the first day, a friendship between him and Yair formed. “They would both get up at six in the morning, taking care not to wake Michael and me, dress and eat a light breakfast, and then go out together to stroll in the deserted streets” (Oz 128). Yair looked up to him and he enjoyed the time he spent with his grandfather. An amusing novelty was the name that Grandpa Yehezkel gave to Yair. “Your parents may call you Yair, but I shall call you Zalman, for Zalman is your real name” (Oz 128). Yair did not reject the name, but decided to call Grandpa the very same name. Hannah did not like calling Yair by this name and did not like the fact that Grandpa was calling her son that. Overall however, the family enjoyed their stay at Grandpa Yehezkel’s very much. His generosity and hospitality was good and the family loved the little presents he would give them. Unfortunately Grandpa Yehezkel passes away and the family is upset about it, especially Michael even though he was never really that close to his father. Upon hearing the news, Michael is more angry than upset. “It’s indecent, I tell you, Hannah, it’s cruel, it’s…cruel” (Oz 136). Grandpa Yehezkel was never close to his son Michael, but he still brought joy to the family. Hannah did not like him very much because Michael did not share the kind of relationship she had with her father, but that did not stop Michael from loving him. Yair began to admire him when they went on their vacation and started a bond between them. Regardless of who was close to whom in the family, Grandpa Yehezkel was a good man and played a major role in the family.
Donatello is right. Michael was never close to his father, and that is why he made such an effort to get closer to him. His son was a chance for him to prove that even though he didn’t have a close bond with his father, that it was still possible to do so for himself and his son. He wished so hard for Hannah to love him as he did. He felt it is obligation to make sure his son had the most love he could. “What I’m trying to say is, I’d like you to start… I don’t know quite how to explain this sort of sentiment” (Oz 142). Michael is telling Hannah that she’s got to be crazy for Yair. That she has to forget about everything else in the world and love him. That is why Hannah disliked Yehezkel so much. His lack of love for his son was the reason her husband outdid her in the love of their son. Hannah shows after Yehezkel’s death, how much discontent she has for him. “Absolutely. Not impossible. Only natural. You are his son. It’s horrible, Michael. Horrible” (Oz 232). Hannah is upset that Michael is like his father, and that he is defending him. Because he is dead, he finds it his obligation to keep him alive and because Yehezkel is the reason that her husband has grown so close with their son, it makes her angry that he stands up for him, angry that even after his death, he is still alive through Michael. Yair and Michael were brought happiness from Yehezkel. Michael was able to grow close to his son, something he never had as a child. Yair was able to get love from all angles, his father and his grandfather, and was able to learn new things and have anything he needed. For Hannah, Yehezkel’s presence in the family was bad, and she was the only one in the family that did not benefit from having Yehezkel in their life.
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