Character Analysis
Marco's dad is a contradictory naysayer. He wants his son to tell him about what he sees every day, but he doesn't want to hear about any of the imaginary delights that are floating through his head:
When I leave home to walk to school,
Dad always says to me,
"Marco, keep your eyelids up
And see what you can see." (1-4)
On one hand, Dad is encouraging Marco to be observant and to take in the world. But the world that Marco sees is very different from the world that Dad sees, and this causes some conflicts between them. When Marco recounts his tales of fantasy, Dad does not approve:
But when I tell him where I've been
And what I think I've seen,
He looks at me and sternly says,
"Your eyesight's much too keen.
Stop telling such outlandish tales.
Stop turning minnows into whales." (5-10)
Even though Marco is doing exactly what his father told him to do, they have different ideas of what reality is, and so they'll never see eye to eye. Marco's Dad really emphasizes the difference between what kids see when they look out the window and what adults see. And guess what? Turns out that adults see something pretty boring. Bummer for grown-ups.