One of the main themes in O Brother, Were Art Thou? is family. This is first introduced when the convicts meet the Blind Seer on the railroad. The seer addresses them as my sons and they in turn address him as Grandpa. Then to get out of their chains they go to see Pete’s cousin, Washington. While eating dinner Washington catches Pete up on all the family news. Washington then ends up turning them in for the bounty money but Pete’s second cousin, Washington’s son, rescues them.
After the rescue Pete sends the boy home to mind his paw, knowing that family ties are important. Even after knowing Washington turned them in Pete is furious when he finds out that Everett stole his cousin’s watch. Delmar also expresses familial motivations, even though none of his family is ever met during the film. When he believes they are going after a treasure of money he explains that he was going to use his share to buy back the family farm.
Everett’s only goal throughout the movie is to get back to his family. So he invented a fictitious treasure to get Pete and Delmar to escape with him. His only intent is to win back his wife, daughters and have a stable family. He is greatly hurt when he finds out that Penny told their daughters that he was hit by a train and that Vernon T. Waldrip was going to be their new father. Everett retorts by saying I am the only daddy you got!
