How does the author use fathers as an example of failed masculinity in the novel, The War For Gloria?

The author uses fathers as a symbol of failed models of masculinity. Corey does not view Leonard as a father-figure; Adrian does not know his father well; even Tom Hibbard says he had a strained relationship with his father. As a symbol, the presence of fathers in the novel demonstrates one of the many obstacles Corey must contend with: the lack of a role model where there should be one. The dynamic between fathers and sons manifests primarily in the relationship between Corey and Leonard.

As a child, Corey is in awe of Leonard, but soon after Gloria’s diagnosis he comes to despise Leonard, and Leonard comes to actively dislike Corey. It is a failed relationship between them. Similarly, Adrian has a strained relationship with his father, who is divorced and lives in Ohio. Adrian tells Corey that his father once brought him to a prostitute who gave him gonorrhea. After Adrian visits his father during winter break his sophomore year (when his behavior has slightly softened), Adrian relapses into old habits and speaks with Leonard frequently again. The reader should consider fathers as symbolic because this clarifies the theme of Corey and Adrian struggling to find healthy senses of masculinity.