"Romulus, My Father" by Raimond Gaita

'Romulus is a strong, honest and creative man, but his life is marred by tragedy' Discuss.

Romulus Gaita is a practical genius and highly intelligent man, but throughout his entire life he suffers much hardship and witnesses many tragedies. The sad story is filled with misfortunes that are often not the direct fault of the characters; rather, the circumstances they are in. Without doubt Romulus is a strong character, and his son's narrative explores his father's life and the tragedies that accompany it with candor and detail.

Romulus Gaita's inherent strength helps him through the difficult times he faces in his life. Strong both physically and mentally, Romulus initially faces hardships that are very testing. In Yugoslavia, Raimond writes of Romulus' family difficulties in regard to his uncle, expounding a situation where Romulus "would probably kill his uncle if he forced his way into the room"

This initial difficulty acts a precursor to many more tragic events, and it shows Romulus needed a strength of character in order to merely survive in tragic circumstances.

Thank God for Mental Illness

romulus

Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera

After his emigration from Yugoslavia to Germany, Romulus meets the first love of his life, Christine. Christine's neurotic and complicated personality causes difficulty for Romulus, testing the strength of his mental character. Christine from the very beginning failed to fulfill her role as the maternal figure in Raimond's upbringing, and Raimond writes "She seemed incapable of taking care of me" Her neglectful behavior of her son is a tragedy itself, and it compounded Romulus' struggle for existence, a time where he had to 'walk 80kms for food'. Whilst it is clear that Romulus' character was strong and his head and heart were directed towards his family, his wife's lack of reciprocation to his ideals of honesty, hard work and a good name can be described...