"The Lion in Winter" by John Goldman

Parental roles in a child's life are one of the most important things in the world. Without a positive mother and father figure, adolescents can grow up to be chaotic and muddled, which is seen between the three boys in John Goldman's The Lion in Winter. Written in 1968, The Lion in Winter portrays the story of King Henry II and his struggle with his wife and his three sons Richard, Geoffrey, and John. The dire relationship between Henry and his wife Eleanor has many different effects on the three boys in different ways. Richard, Geoffrey, and John's relationships with their parents mold the men they are in the present story.
Although Richard is the oldest, he is not the first-born son. Henry and Eleanor had a son who died that was named Henry before they had Richard; but since Richard is now the oldest, he acts as if he was first born. …