I happened to talk to two clients this week - both of whose fathers had "guided" them away from unsuitable men. Susie's father refused to pay for her to fly to Texas for her usual summer at her grandmother's, thereby making it impossible to see the Lothario. He provided her with a great vacation in compensation.
In the other case, Yvonne's father said nothing, knowing if he did, it would drive her to the "Duke of Mantua."
Of course such a father is never happy to be "right."
Now, we all know that the great opera composer, Verdi, wrote about families -- as no one has before or since. There is a scene in "Rigoletto" that pertains to what I'm writing about. The best clip for seeing what's going on is from a movie of the opera, "Rigoletto," but it's disabled. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYRZOEzoOgQ
So here's the song. The Duke of Mantua is leading the daughter on, which her father knows, and her father drags her there and makes her watch it, to see for herself. This is one of the few quartets in opera: Bella Figlia Dell Amore (Beautiful Daughter of Love). This is painful for her and her father both, but not as painful as what would have happened if the daughter had continued down the path she was on.
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