Hungry for Attention

Every little kid craves attention. You did, I did- we all did. Little kids don't yet have the experience one attains as they mature- that everything is not about you all the time. I mean, as we get older, some people still act like that, and let's face it, it's nice to be the center of attention. But to little kids who just want instant gratification, it's natural and they think nothing of it. We've all had to pretend to our younger siblings that the story they're telling you for the fifth time is so interesting and so funny and great! We have not let them know that what they're saying isn't exactly what they think it is. As they grow up, they will mature and hopefully, drop this cute but somewhat annoying habit.

Richard's parents never gave him this fake interest. Even though it may be fake, the kid doesn't know that, and it's not too much to ask to pretend to be interested. But Richard's dad was tired and frustrated with him most of the time, and his mom was too worn out by dealing with him and his brother and everything else that needed to be taken care of around the house. I can definitely understand why it would be hard to give Richard some attention. But a brief minute here and there couldn't have been too hard, right? At least, I don't think so. I feel bad for Richard because he never had that feeling that his parents were genuinely listening to him, and so maybe that's what affected his personality in certain ways later in life. We haven't gotten that far in the book yet though. And that's why he went to the saloon- because even though those grownups were drunk and amused by him, they were paying long-denied attention to him, which was more than his parents had done.