Flame Alphabet - Selection 2

Perhaps it is better now to liken a father to an animal parent. Certain caretaking is observed, but when the offspring matures, alienation and estrangement set in. Rivalry. The youngster grows preternaturally angry at the father, for some reason angrier at the father than at any other creature and the father opens a small hole in his chest to accommodate this anger which flows in rapidly. An emotional ecology is observed, with the energy composted and renewed in the chest of the man. A deep, circular structure is satisfied with the anger returning to its creator, who is probably not equipped to hold it anymore. He must release it through new activities to the world.

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I think that this passage is an excellent example of where Ben Marcus practically explicitly states his belief about the nature of gratitude: cutthroat and almost animalistic. The father here gives everything to his child and gets little else than malice in return. This is certainly a bit of an exaggeration in many cases, but in a general context, it is hard to disagree that it is not uncommon for the reciprocation of a favor to be somewhat weaker or nonexistent. I believe that a person loses value in our eyes when we fail to acknowledge the things they do for us; certainly as much is evident in the relationship between Esther and Samuel. Esther (to my memory) doesn't once recognize the many things that he does for her and her animosity towards him grows progressively worse, culminating in what I find to be one of the most hateful departures I could imagine. Perhaps it is simply hardwired in us all to bite the hand that feeds us, but I think that Marcus tries to highlight this point as a small lesson in thankfulness.