Father & Son

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Father & Son

havo 4 Literature

learning objectives:

• you can explain why the relationship between father and son is so difficult
• you can say who the narrators are and why MacLaverty chose for this style
• you know the setting of the story

Bernard MacLaverty

• born in Belfast in 1942
• moved to Schotland in 1975
• recurring subject in his stories is 'The Troubles' a conflict between the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland
• Father and Son tells us the story of a family affected by this conflict 

You read the short story at home

Do you have any questions about the short story?

Who can give a short summary?

1. There is something special about the way in which this story is written.

1a. Who is/are the narrator(s)?

1b. What could be the advantage of having more than one narrator?

Discuss in pairs or groups of three.

Explanation

As it is told from multiple perspectives, you get a more complete story and can empathise/sympathise with more characters.

1c. It is only in one or two places that MacLaverty does not talk through his characters. Try and find where.

Discuss in pairs of groups of three.

Possible answers

• “The front door shudders as he leaves.“ 
  
  
• “The boy shrugs and sits down. He takes up the paper between him and his father.“ 
  
  
• “The boy had taken up the paper. He turns the pages noisily, crackling like fire.“ 
  
  
• “He bundles the paper … at the closed door.“

1d. MacLaverty hasn't given the characters names. Why do you think he did that?

1. to keep the story more general
2. this way it is easier to relate to the story
3. the names are not important in this story
4. all answers are correct

2. Throughout the story there are attempts at communication.

2. The relationship between father and son is not good. Find examples in the text to support this.

Why is their relationship not good?

They do not understand each other or their motives.

"This is my son who let me down."

'What's it to you?"

"My son is breaking my heart."

"..., Da, because you're a coward."

"I would like to slap his face and make a man out of him."

"Why don't you tell me where you go?"

"Why do you fight away from me?"

3. The boy has been away from home for some years.

3. In what condition did the father find his son?

class discussion

Explanation

Quotes from the text:

• I pulled you away from death once 
• your hand shook when you got home 
• I fed you soup from a spoon when your own hand would have spilled it. 
• I had to collect you like a dog 
• The doctor had to burn what was on you 
• I made you have your girl’s hair cut.

4. The father and son both react differently to the world surrounding them.

4. connect the words to the correct person

Father

Son

drugs

scared

reckless

gun

bad friends

sleeps during the day

hatchet next to bed

Valium

loud radio

won't easily answer the door

4. How does the father react?

He is scared / anxious.

• undresses at night
  
• scared of his own shadow
  
• takes Valium
  
• won’t answer the door without checking who it is first
  
• radio loud enough to drown out noises,
  
• sleeps with pillow over his head
  
• has a hatchet next to his bed

4. How does the son react?

He is reckless.

• sleeps during the day
  
• ran away from home
  
• used drugs
  
• has bad friends
  
• has a gun

5. The son gets killed.

5a. How do we know this?
Find examples in the text.

Hints from the text

• There is a bang 
• blood spilling from his nose 
• limp head 
• a hole that should not be there. At the base of his nostril. 

5b. What may be the reason
that the son gets killed?

We don't really know

Possible reasons:

• He was a terrorist (IRA)
• He was an arms dealer
• He was a drug dealer

6. Let's take a look at the setting of the story.

6a. Where does the story take place?

What is the setting of this story?

At night in their home in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the Troubles (1960 - 1998: not in the text)