A boy with no father grows quickly to be a man. Most people’s lives they have the fortune of a father’s comfort, but in their comfort they don’t understand the importance of a father. In the novel Siddhartha, we see that Siddhartha does not raise his only child, not meeting him until the age of eleven. At their meeting, Siddhartha notices the child is arrogant, spoiled, and hateful. Character traits opposite to Siddhartha’s because of their lack of time as a father and son. This creates a permanent rift in their relationship, no matter how much more time Siddhartha spends with his son. Many people would assume that a child’s young years don’t matter because he will grow to forget them, but that is completely false. A comfortable child growing up with proper guidance and support from a loving family is enough for a bright future. 

A child without the foundation of their family can be shown to be devastating in the “Seven Samurai.” We see one of the seven samurai, Kikuchiyo, to be a drunk alcoholic not showing the true values of a samurai. Even when being turned down due to his arrogance, Kikuchiyo follows the rest of the samurai back to the village where he begins to show his contributions. As the story goes on we learn that Kikuchiyo was once also a farmer who lost his own parents to bandits. This does explain his drinking and anger, but it doesn’t affect his true character. Kikuchiyo is shown to be a bit unstable, but he still has his morals and care for each farmer and samurai. Kikuchiyo was willing to sacrifice himself to save other children from a life without parenthood like his own.

On the other hand a boy without a parent could still grow to be a good successful man. There are many examples of a young boy growing up with an abandoned father but still becoming very successful. Lebron James for example is one of the greatest athletes of all time and is close to becoming a billionaire, but he had done it without his father being in his life. Of course missing the relationship of a parent could affect the outcome of a child’s future, but it does not limit them. The mental aspect of a parent gives a positive outlook for a child, giving them support, love and a pathway to success. A parent does not define a child’s future, but rather shapes it and builds it to its capabilities.

A child lacking a parental figure is a lifestyle sadly many people including my own friends live. They still would not let this dictate the way they perceived themselves and their mindsets. A parent could path the way for a child, but it is up to the child to become mentally strong and be successful.