I found out something interesting today, while looking on Wikipedia I read that the character of Allie Fox in Paul Theroux’s “the Mosquito Coast” was most likely bipolar. Okay, so Wikipedia isn’t exactly the most reliable source of information but it does remain one of the last bastions of free will & speech! What I found so intriguing is that I remember the first time I watched Peter Weir’s film adaptation; I was with my Mum & youngest brother David. We all sat there aghast as we watched the story unfold – “my goodness!” We exclaimed, “It’s Keith Oliver Harrington”. The parallels between the lead character & my father were strikingly scary. For the benefit of those who have never seen the film or read the book, Wiki provides a great summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mosquito_Coast
My dad was so similar to Allie, for example, as children my dad instilled in all four of us kids a general distrust of mankind & for authority figures, especially the church. I remember we would go for drives through the local Newport waterways estate and admire the canal homes & he’s say “don’t envy those people kids; they’ll be swimming in their living rooms by the time you grow up”. The houses are still there today & one of my brothers lived there for over a decade (but as we all now know waterfront properties are increasingly at threat due to environmental changes & are becoming largely uninsurable). I say this all in the past tense as my father has mellowed quite a bit & his pride has taken quite a stumble over the last 15 years. My dad was never quite as "manic" as Allie Fox but he sure came close.
I’m not saying that my dad is bipolar but it was strange to find out that Allie Fox (the most similar character portrayal I’ve ever seen) was apparently bipolar, it’s very strange indeed.
My dad was so similar to Allie, for example, as children my dad instilled in all four of us kids a general distrust of mankind & for authority figures, especially the church. I remember we would go for drives through the local Newport waterways estate and admire the canal homes & he’s say “don’t envy those people kids; they’ll be swimming in their living rooms by the time you grow up”. The houses are still there today & one of my brothers lived there for over a decade (but as we all now know waterfront properties are increasingly at threat due to environmental changes & are becoming largely uninsurable). I say this all in the past tense as my father has mellowed quite a bit & his pride has taken quite a stumble over the last 15 years. My dad was never quite as "manic" as Allie Fox but he sure came close.
I’m not saying that my dad is bipolar but it was strange to find out that Allie Fox (the most similar character portrayal I’ve ever seen) was apparently bipolar, it’s very strange indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment