Initially he had loved his mother, he spent more time with her opposed to his father. Negative views and thoughts of his father were mainly introduced to him from his mother, whose beliefs are evidently the cause of his father's demons. The realization that his mother was responsible for holding his father back from his dreams finally hit him. The iron-tipped harpoon represents a very brutal attack, and that no matter how far his father swam, he would always be attached to the other end of the mother's harpoon – there was no escape for the boy's father. It is interesting how Alistair chose to leave out any further portrayal of how the young boy felt about his mother. One would assume that after having such a realization, that you would have more complex or negative thoughts about your mother. The young boy must have more that he wants to say about his mother, but for some reason does not express his emotions towards her.
There is almost a sense of acceptance, or peace in the tone of this passage. When the son tells his father "he would remain with him as long as he lived" (235), you can tell the father finally feels like someone accepts him. The narrator (the son) never shows this directly, but instead chooses to describe his father's reaction by simply saying "he made no protest but only smiled" (235). His father no longer felt alone in his battle to support his family. This ignited a newfound appreciation for his son, as he now had someone that understood what he was going through. The father had no idea what the son was thinking as the son never told him directly, but he just knew. This is a very pivotal moment in the story, as it is the first time the reader sees any type of emotion from the father. Earlier in the story, the narrator makes it seem as if the father is an emotionless, mysterious, and dull character. The father's grim attitude vanishes in this moment, it almost seems as if he is trying to mask his happiness from his son.