Hi guys :)
Today in English class, we read a short story called “Father and son”
written by Bernard Maclaverty. This short story was published in his short
story collection “A Time To Dance” in 1982. Bernard Maclaverty usually writes
about his native land, Northern Ireland, describing in human terms the conflict
that troubled its people for so many years. “Father and son” like any other
story is written about one family who has been affected by the conflict between
the Catholics and the Protestants in Northern Ireland. In this blog post, I
will give you a summary and compare the text to what really happened at the
real Northern Ireland conflict.
“Father and son” is a short story about the relationship between a
widower father and his teenage son, but it is also about a conflict between
those two where the lack of communication leads to misunderstanding between
them. They live in Belfast, in a neighborhood
with a lot of violence since the story takes place in the middle of the 
Troubles. The father and the
son can hear the sound of ambulances at night. Both the son and the father are
scared to sleep at night, but unfortunately the son will not confess his fears
to his father. The son himself sees his father as a weak coward afraid of
everything outside his house and that is why he has not any respect for him. There
are short and meaningless dialogues between them, even though the father tries
to understand his son. He does not know much about his son and his activities,
and that gives reasons for him to be worried, because sometimes the son does
not come home in the evening and is missing all night. They used to have a good
relationship before the son went to London. Fishing was an activity they used
to do together, they did also laugh and talk and the father could also put his
arms around his son. Two years before this short story takes place, the son
went to London and got mixed up with drug addicts. His father had to come and
get him, and help him back to life. Their relationship changed from good to
bad, after the son got back on his feet. Now the son will no longer tell his
father how he feels or anything about his whereabouts. If the father asks, the
son answers in anger that it is not his business. The father is told by the son
to leave him alone, which creates a distance to his father. That situation
makes the father disturbed and sad. At the same time the father is also very
scared that something should happen to either him or his son. The son was a
former IRA member that has left IRA, which got him killed.
Troubles. The father and the
son can hear the sound of ambulances at night. Both the son and the father are
scared to sleep at night, but unfortunately the son will not confess his fears
to his father. The son himself sees his father as a weak coward afraid of
everything outside his house and that is why he has not any respect for him. There
are short and meaningless dialogues between them, even though the father tries
to understand his son. He does not know much about his son and his activities,
and that gives reasons for him to be worried, because sometimes the son does
not come home in the evening and is missing all night. They used to have a good
relationship before the son went to London. Fishing was an activity they used
to do together, they did also laugh and talk and the father could also put his
arms around his son. Two years before this short story takes place, the son
went to London and got mixed up with drug addicts. His father had to come and
get him, and help him back to life. Their relationship changed from good to
bad, after the son got back on his feet. Now the son will no longer tell his
father how he feels or anything about his whereabouts. If the father asks, the
son answers in anger that it is not his business. The father is told by the son
to leave him alone, which creates a distance to his father. That situation
makes the father disturbed and sad. At the same time the father is also very
scared that something should happen to either him or his son. The son was a
former IRA member that has left IRA, which got him killed.
On my way home from school, I walked past a bookstore. Outside there was
a sign, which was saying “a former member of the IRA has written a book, come
inside to get a signed copy.” I went inside and met this former IRA member, we
got to talk. He was really interested in what I had to say. One thing that I
got to know was that the short story “Father and son” is one of his favorite
short stories. We got to talk about his IRA membership and what he has
experienced. He told me that he had been in prison for several years for his
actions. He was literature enthusiast, and he told me that he and his family
experienced the same emotions and feelings as the father and the son in the
text experienced. Both he and his family lived daily in fear for the man’s
life, the father and the son from the text also lived in fear for the son’s
life. The son in “the Father and the Son” conceals a weapon under his pillow
and the father had a weapon by his bed, the man told me that he also had a
weapon nearby at any time. He also told me that his childhood home had many
weapons around and in the house. His father did not know about his weapons, he
only knew about the two household weapons. One thing I did not know that he
taught me was, “the Father and the Son” was written during a literature period
called the twentieth century. During that period the society and people changed
a lot. The English literature did also experience a big change. The man did
also tell me that after he had joined the IRA, the relationship with his family
mostly his father was never the same again. In the real life an IRA member that
wanted out was often killed since IRA was worried that particular member would
give away something. The son was killed because of that concern.
The short story seemed really believable and it could be a real family
story. The fact that this could happen, has happened or something simular has
happened transform it to a serious short story. It is relevant for today’s
situation in Northern Ireland. I really enjoyed “Father and son”, but I still
do not want to call it amusing and entertaining. Well, it is entertaining and
amusing but not in the most obvious way. “Father and son” is an informative
short story, because it gives us a glimpse into the troubled everyday life for
some of the people in Northern Ireland.
It was really a coincidence that I walked past that exact bookstore,
with a former IRA member inside. I usually go a different way home from school.
I purchased the man’s book and right now I am about to read it, I look forward
to that.
Talk to you guys later, Villemo.
Sources:
http://www.daria.no/skole/?tekst=2134 , 02.10.2014
Haugen, Hellevi m.fl.
(2009). Targets – engelsk vg1. H.Ascheloug & Co (page 154-158)
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