"What a treacherous thing to believe, that a person is more than a person." -John Green

Manning sees his dad as a person so above him -- the "protector" of the family, always one step ahead so that he can always catch his son in case he falls. It's hard for Manning to escape that mindset until he's face to face with him, arm wrestling, and he realizes that he is going to beat him. All of a sudden, he understands that his father isn't all-powerful, but human. It is when Manning finally sees his father as an equal that he is able to fully grasp their love -- this arm wrestling which he once viewed as a competition is, in reality, a way of communication.

Even though I can't relate with Manning's physical relationship with his father, I think I really connected with the distance in their relationship that Manning felt as a child. At the beginning of the story, he respects his father, but is unsure of his father's feelings and yearns for a sort of acceptance or approval. However, at the end, their relationship becomes more tender, and he connects with his father on an emotional level. In this way, Manning asserts that the most emotionally rewarding type of love exists between those who consider each other equals. When you place someone on a pedestal, you are prone to turning a blind eye to any imperfections and imagining him as something he isn't (à la Gatsby and Daisy). At worst, this can lead to your getting hurt by an unhealthy relationship. At best, it creates a barrier that prevents you from being truly close with the person.

"Love isn't about seeing someone as perfect; it's seeing that they aren't perfect and accepting them and loving them anyway."

-my friend Shachi