Philip is Ondaatje’s paternal grandfather and Mervyn’s father. Philip is studious and aloof, and amasses a fortune through real estate deals. He uses his money to build the family estate at Rock Hill. Despite his seriousness, Philip seems to enable Mervyn’s recklessness and is unable to reign in his son’s behavior. Mervyn’s alcoholism and rash actions ultimately destroy the empire that Philip spends his life building.
Philip Ondaatje Quotes in Running in the Family
The Running in the Family quotes below are all either spoken by Philip Ondaatje or refer to Philip Ondaatje. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Courtship
Quotes
[Mervyn] bought Doris a huge emerald engagement ring which he charged to his father’s account. His father refused to pay and my father threatened to shoot himself. Eventually, it was paid for by the family.
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Philip Ondaatje Quotes in Running in the Family
The Running in the Family quotes below are all either spoken by Philip Ondaatje or refer to Philip Ondaatje. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Courtship
Quotes
[Mervyn] bought Doris a huge emerald engagement ring which he charged to his father’s account. His father refused to pay and my father threatened to shoot himself. Eventually, it was paid for by the family.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
