You know, i straight away thought of an 'old fashioned' family as such.

Where the mother cooks, cleans and is basically the servant of the husband. The child is, as you say 'content', because this is how he was brought up. The father doesn't step over the line. Just keeps everything in a kind of grey stillness. Keeping everything just about in tact. Like it's controlled. As you said, "why doesn't he just step on the heart"...of course, if he did, things could be very different. And so the vicious circle continues? Helped on by the ignorance?...hmmm..

I'll stick to my first intepretation. Though i'm sure it could mean other things. Both completely different or extensions of the family thing i mentioned above.

An interesting approach. One which i liked. It seemed a bit distant and cold. Yet there was this certain amount of linkage which enabled one to 'touch it'.

...resp...