FATHER AND SON – Kirsty Rodger
In his short story “Father and Son” , Bernard McLaverty offers a thoughtful insight into a brittle relationship and the conflict that separates the two main characters. The relationship consists of a father- overcome by anxiety – and his son who is similarly driven by fear. Conflict and tension are the two main themes although there are other poignant themes including those of violence, lack of communication and the deterioration of a relationship. To convey these themes, McLaverty uses techniques such as symbolism, narrative style and metaphors.
The plot follows the day to day lives of the father of son which consists of the father living in constant fear over his son’s health and safety as well as trying to…show more content… They are not just individuals, but they have universal significance furthermore it can relate to all fathers and sons. Due to the universal significance, the title is accompanied with connotations of the father and son’s relationship. It brings positive connotations such as the Bible which shows the love between father (God) and son (Jesus). But with this also comes negative connotations: a young male wants to live on his own life but his elder is not willing to let him go. The title tells the bond between the two which in turn also shows the contrast between the two generations of the male…show more content… In one scene, the theme of the deterioration of a relationship is highlighted by the third-person narrator informing the reader “the son takes up the newspaper between himself and the father”. Here, the newspaper symbolises a metaphorical barrier that the son puts up to avoid communicating with his father. This is a very tense moment for the couple as the father seems to lust over having a conversation with his son but the son wants nothing more than to be left alone. Their relationship is also likened to a garden. Once, his father “used to grow flowers and vegetables for half the street” whereas now “the weeds have taken over”. The garden’s state symbolises the deterioration of the relationship. Lively and strong once, but now dull and weak. They had once had a close bon with one another but over time the bond that they had shared breaks, leaving the relationship to