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Jackson Clark, Kya’s Pa, is characterized by his extreme temper and absent parenting. Kya describes him as oscillating between only two behaviors: silence and screaming. His silence means he’s either physically absent or sleeping off his hangover. When he’s not silent, he physically and emotionally abuses every member of his family. Jodie implies that Pa may have had PTSD from his time in World War II, which could be the cause of his alcohol dependence and violent behavior. Regardless of the reason behind his behavior, Pa’s abuse of his family is incredibly severe. His abuse of Kya’s mother is particularly heinous, with Kya even remembering a time when Pa beat Ma with an iron fire poker. His violence is both physically and mentally unbearable for his wife and children, and eventually leads to all but Kya abandoning him.
Pa does have the ability to be a non-violent, somewhat caring father and husband. Much of his abusive behavior stems from his alcohol use. After everyone aside from Kya leaves home, he stops drinking for a time. During this dry spell, Pa teaches Kya to boat and fish, and even shows her some real affection. Jodie later confirms that he had seen this softer side of their father as well, but that alcohol had always ruined him sooner or later. Unfortunately, a mysterious letter from Kya’s mother – which is later revealed to be a request to take custody of the children and bring them with her to Louisiana – sends him spiraling, and he returns to the bottle. Pa is likely aware that his behavior is monstrous, and that he has forced his entire family to abandon him and his daughter, but he can’t emotionally accept this fact. Instead, he acts out in anger, turning his own pain and guilt onto Kya, and destroying any progress he might have made in their relationship.
Although Pa’s behavior is unforgivable and unjustifiable, his character is, in many ways, tragic. War, poverty, and alcohol abuse have destroyed his humanity. His life is steeped in misery, he sabotages every familial relationship he has, and he’s not mentally equipped or self-aware enough to make any positive changes. He slides ever deeper into anger and bitterness. While he may have simply left town entirely like the rest of the family, never returning, it’s likely that his alcoholism and reckless behavior eventually resulted in his death, explaining his sudden permanent disappearance.
