I believe that Daniel did not in fact have a relationship with his adopted son H.W. At the beginning of the movie when H.W’s real father is struck and killed by falling equipment, I think Daniel saw his opportunity at what could be a good start to a business venture. This is showed when the boy starts to grow up. When he older around 10, Daniel orders him to do stuff like he is property and doesn’t really spend quality time with the boy. Also when the boy is deafened by the gas explosion he checks on him and then immediately after he realizes the boy is still alive he goes back to his oil drill.
Daniel and Eli, even though the are contradicting characters throughout the movie actually have a little bit in common. They both share the same drive when the want something and are persistent in it. They both try to take advantage of whats given to them. However Eli does get the short end of the deal in the end of the movie. They are different however in their successes. Daniel is a successful oil man. He came to be this almost entirely on his own. From digging for rocks to then the oil industry. He had to climb his way up the food chain. Eli however benefited from his father selling his land and making the men build a church and have money be given to him to build it.
Daniel represent the capitalist spirit the best in the way that he worked his way up from and extremely poor miner to an oil drilling tycoon. It shows what the American Dream is really about and how anything can happen if you work for it. He does show a bad side of capitalism though when it comes to greed. As life goes on for Daniel he becomes money hungry and even sends his adopted son away because he does not have “time” to deal with him. He lets money come before everything else in his life.
Brody Mariotti Cinema blog 