Fathers and Fools: Definition Paper - Father
David Rudisel
Andrew Behrmann
English 111
11 April 2013
Fathers and Fools
There is an old saying that unfortunately I hear all too often, “Any fool can have a child but it takes a real man to be a father.” There are several variations of this saying and I have heard them many times, from many different people. The wording always seems to vary slightly with each person who says it. Regardless of how they might be worded, they all deliver the same message. Basically, it means that it is easy for a man to do his part in the conception of a child but there are many responsibilities that come with actually raising that child. If he is not man enough to take care of those responsibilities then he does not deserve to be called a father. Unfortunately for the children there are far too many fools out there who are more than willing to do the easy part and not enough real men who are willing to do everything else that comes with being a father. If you look up the word father in a dictionary, you will most likely find a definition that is very similar to one of these two: “a man who has begotten a child” (Merriam-Webster) or “a male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child” (TheFreeDictionary). According to these definitions, any fool who has a child, regardless of what he may or may not do to help raise that child, is considered to be a father. However a real man, who steps up and raises a child who is not his biologically, is not considered a father. I would have to disagree with these definitions and I know many other people do as well. In my opinion, they don’t even come close to defining a father. They would be great for defining a sperm donor or impregnator, but a father is so much more than that.
I would go well beyond any dictionary to define what I consider a father to be. Obviously, my definition would give a more in depth
Andrew Behrmann
English 111
11 April 2013
Fathers and Fools
There is an old saying that unfortunately I hear all too often, “Any fool can have a child but it takes a real man to be a father.” There are several variations of this saying and I have heard them many times, from many different people. The wording always seems to vary slightly with each person who says it. Regardless of how they might be worded, they all deliver the same message. Basically, it means that it is easy for a man to do his part in the conception of a child but there are many responsibilities that come with actually raising that child. If he is not man enough to take care of those responsibilities then he does not deserve to be called a father. Unfortunately for the children there are far too many fools out there who are more than willing to do the easy part and not enough real men who are willing to do everything else that comes with being a father. If you look up the word father in a dictionary, you will most likely find a definition that is very similar to one of these two: “a man who has begotten a child” (Merriam-Webster) or “a male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child” (TheFreeDictionary). According to these definitions, any fool who has a child, regardless of what he may or may not do to help raise that child, is considered to be a father. However a real man, who steps up and raises a child who is not his biologically, is not considered a father. I would have to disagree with these definitions and I know many other people do as well. In my opinion, they don’t even come close to defining a father. They would be great for defining a sperm donor or impregnator, but a father is so much more than that.
I would go well beyond any dictionary to define what I consider a father to be. Obviously, my definition would give a more in depth
Cited: Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Moore, Kristin A.; Capps, Randolph C.; and Zaff, Jonathan. “The influence of father involvement on youth risk behaviors among adolescents: A comparison of native-born and immigrant families.” Social Science Research. 35.1 December 2004: 181-209. Print. Dyson, Michael Eric. "Obama 's Rebuke of Absentee Black Fathers." Time Magazine. Time Inc., 19 June 2008. Web. 11 April 2013. "Father." TheFreeDictionary.com. Farlex, Inc., 2013. Web. 11 April 2013. "Father." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2013. Web. 6 April 2013. Harper, Cynthia C. and Sara S. McLanahan. “Father Absence and Youth Incarceration.” Journal of Research on Adolescence. 14 (2004): 369-397. Print.