) ... he could probably have wrapped his hands around his father 's throat and squeezed until his father 's face turned red , then purple , then lifeless ... for that matter he could have burned his father 's ass off , with gasoline , just like the old man had done to him ... yeah , that would 've been the thing to do ... there were many things he could have done to save his mother ... but now it was too late to save her , because he 'd been a chicken shit , because he 'd cowered in the corner while the old man beat her , and beat her ...