Audiobook: My Little Boy part III

Since graduating from college, I have sometimes wondered how and if I will better understand the books that had been assigned to me.  For years, young adult literature has been my favorite genre to read, often perusing the words happily (I am not by nature a fast reader) and finding something cathartic in the process; however, I am now older than the age on which most of young adult literature focuses.

A question I am pondering right now is, what experiences and/or responsibilities must you understand to get the motives of a character of a certain age?  Furthermore: do you need to be an adult to understand adults?  Do you have to travel to Europe to understand European literature or customs?  Do you need to be a parent to understand people who are parents?

Part of the reason I am enjoying recording My Little Boy is that I don't know what it is like to be a father, so getting to voice one is pretty interesting.  In part three, I think the Dad is trying so hard to guide to his son, but his own motives are taking control; I don't completely understand why the Dad is so set against going to the zoo at the time, but I do think he is a little worn out.  He mentions that he is at his "wits' end" after his son's curiosity is so incessantly piqued; I think that is a state to which most readers can relate.  He keeps trying to encourage his son to think about the natural state of the animals, and yet the natural state for the boy is to be playful and imperfectly human.

Here's a link to the audio of my recording for Part 3:

It is a little longer than the previous two parts, and I am thinking some future parts will be just as long.