How was Captain von Trapp as a parent before Maria’s influence took hold in the family?

A military man, and veteran of the Austrian navy, Captain von Trapp has taken to raising his children in the same way that he captained his men. They are disciplined with military precision, primarily because he does not know how to cope with his feelings of sadness since losing his wife. The joy has gone out of the Captain since he was widowed; he realizes that it is a long time since he sang with his family, but it is also a long time since he had music in his heart.