5L

If Dan Robie was proud of Will, why did he treat him the way he did?

I think he treated Will that way because Will hurt him badly when he left.

He treated Will badly before he left. I believe Dan, like many men of that era, believed that you had to constantly berate a boy to make him a man. I went to school with boys whose fathers were "Dan Robie's."

Dan did not want to be perceived as being soft. I totally agree with Carol's summation.

I knew someone once whose father would never praise his kids because he reckoned the kids would then stop trying to please.

I think fathers of that generation were not emotionally attached to their sons.

He thought he had to be hard on him so he wouldn’t end up weak

>3 Carol420: Carol I think you sum up the situation very well!