Character Analysis
Gary's whole mission in life is to not be his father, but he couldn't have failed any harder.
It's not that he's unaware of their similarities. He knows that he has become a "shouter [...] like his father before him" (3.291). He's also well aware of the fact that he is depressed just like his Alfred—as if Caroline would ever stop reminding him.
And then, in the midst of this chaos, Gary creates another version of his young self in Jonah.
While Aaron and Caleb side with their mom, Jonah is shown to be loving, attentive, and considerate toward Gary—and Gary loves him for it. But we can't help but think back to a young Gary "enduring a dull thing that brought a parent's pleasure" (4.248). He's spent his whole life hanging out in the shadow of his love for his mother… and then he fosters the same dynamic with Jonah.
This isn't to say that Jonah doesn't truly love his dad—in fact, his behavior is pretty much one long very loving gesture. But it is also likely that Jonah is consciously preserving his father's illusions, just like Gary did for Enid. And then what's stopping Jonah from just making all the same mistakes all over again?
In the end, it's clear that Gary's problems—like his father's—run far deeper than just depression. Caroline wants a straight-forward problem with a straight-forward solution, but real life is rarely so clear. For more on her dynamic with Gary, check out his analysis elsewhere in this section.