Which parent does Kevin like best?

Who is Kevin’s favorite parent?

In Lionel Shriver’s novel, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Kevin seems to be bored with everything.  When Kevin was young, he used to destroy or toss out any toys he received (103).  As a teen, Kevin would usually respond to questions of preference with an annoyed “whatever” or with mockery.  Kevin rarely had a fondness for anything, including his own family.  Thus, having a favorite parent would seem out of the ordinary.  However, I am of the opinion that Kevin preferred his mother to his father.

Franklin may have treated Kevin better than Eva did, but that does not mean that Kevin liked him over her.  For example, when Kevin was sick, he did not want his father around him (237).  Although Franklin really wanted to be there with Kevin, his rejection of him shows that Kevin did not need him in his time of weakness.  Another example is when Kevin first began speaking.  He would only talk to his mom; when he was with his dad he “clammed up” (116).  For whatever reason, Kevin had no need of talking to his dad.  This demonstrates how unnecessary he felt his dad was.  Franklin was at this period not afforded the luxury of speaking to his child.

On the other hand, although Eva was certainly a worse parent to Kevin, it appears that he likes her company more than that of Franklin.  Kevin revealed his appreciation for his mother’s Armenian heritage when he asked for her Armenian food while he was sick (237).  By demonstrating his interest in his mother’s native cuisine, Kevin revealed that he, indirectly, liked his mother.  In addition, Eva also mentions how she personally was “rewarded” by Kevin (200).  He decided to start being potty trained as a gift to his mom, in her view.  She even regarded his nondisclosure of the true reason he broke his arm as “protecting his mother (201).  Kevin showed his preference for Eva by not tattling on her to Franklin.

Through his actions throughout the novel so far, Kevin has revealed that he likes Eva over Franklin.  Whereas in most situations Kevin’s preference has seemed ambiguous or unclear due to his apparent disdain for everything, regarding his parents it is obvious that he likes his mother more than his father.