Tailspin 2
After Karen suggested to her father he should wear a hearing aid, we find out why he is so stubborn against it. He tried it once, but at that time it only made his condition worse. Thus, further supporting that her father refuses her help, even if times have changed with hearing aids, adding to their unhealthy relationship. Sergei Kochkin of the Better Hearing Institute suggests that "the constancy of tinnitus and the perceived lack of control can provoke fear" (Bouton). This gives a plausible explanation to the extreme bitterness that Karen's father holds. While it may be perceived as an unwillingness to receive help, if given the benefit of the doubt, his caustic reactions are actually a result of his loss of control and his daily time spent in fear and panic.
The unrequited affection is displayed here in this relationship. Karen cannot fathom why her father treats her the way he does. He always yells at her "shut up... go away... be quiet". He acts as if she is a a burden on him, when the reality is it is the other way around even though she still loves him.
This image displays the relationship between the children and the grandfather. He is pissed that they are playing with that "blasted toy" and yearning for simpler, specifically quieter times when he could not be irritated by children playing. The children's toys is an alternative to other forms of play that would entice Karen's father to be more calm. However, the toys is a part of the interactivity of "Tailspin" itself which can be described as another form of play as described by Flanagan and Nissenbaum in "Values at Play". Altogether, Tailspin offers a "dynamic engagement with content" which allows it to thoroughly get across an understanding of the relationship between Karen's father with tinnitus and those living with him (Flanagan, 4).
