"The Lords of Discipline" by Pat Conroy Conroy showcases his life through his novel, The Lords of Discipline, to give readers a visual demonstration of how the connections of life can transform the entity of a novel. Conroy's association with the Citadel, his family, and the South helped influence his innovative writing style. )." Conroy's family exerted strong control over his willingness to renounce the hardships of the Citadel. A pervasive admiration for his mother runs through the book as he states her as one of the main reasons he continues to remain in the Institute, and the one who kept him in line both during his childhood and in his transition to adulthood "Her severity was gentle, but still severe... my mother's discipline masqueraded as love and tenderness and often kept fa....