At the start of the Ramsay's trip to the Lighthouse, Cam and James make a pact to resist the tyranny of their father. As the family is at sea, it becomes clear that the siblings actually have extremely different opinions of their father. When James is steering the boat, he expects his father to criticize him if something goes wrong: "James kept dreading the moment when he would look up and speak sharply to him about something or other. [...] And if he does, James thought, then I shall take a knife and strike him to the heart" (187). James seemingly irrationally violent thoughts make it clear that he hates his father and he is true on his quest to resist tyranny. James hates Mr. Ramsay's natural disposition, and he does not feel sympathetic towards his father. James' aggressive feelings towards his father at age sixteen mirrors his violent desires from when he was six years old. Time has not allowed the mending of James' relationship with his father, and the boy's dislike for his father is genuine.
Although Cam promises that she will resist tyranny with James, it becomes clear that she is not as wholeheartedly devoted to her commitment as her brother. After Mr. Ramsay attempts to make Cam smile by asking her about her puppy, Cam struggles to resist her father's tyranny: "Cam now felt herself overcast, as she sat down there among calm, resolute people and wondered how to answer her father about the puppy; how to resist his entreaty" (171). Mr. Ramsay purposely asks his daughter about her puppy in order to make himself appear relatable. He is manipulating the situation because he recognizes his children's plan to some degree. Cam, unlike her brother, does not feel a passionate hatred for her father, and she struggles to follow through with her commitment to James because her father is trying to appeal to her interests, rather than assert his superiority.
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