Les Wall Week 3 Question 3

3. The speaker begins with the announcement "I will always be there", and yet later he says "I am the invisible son" (line 32). How can these two statements be reconciled? (554)
The statement the narrator makes "I will always be there" tells us that no matter what others in the family might think about him, that blood is thicker than water and that he will be there no matter what. The poem goes on to tell us about some of those instances he will be there. In the middle of those explanations he lets out some of his feelings, "My arms are empty" in reference to his love life, he cannot bring his lover to the family outing because they do not approve. Later his statement in line 32 "I am the invisible son." expresses how his family thinks of him because of his sexuality. They do not want to deal with it, therefore he is invisible to them.