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The Man of the House - Literature Notes
Frank O'Connor was raised in Cork and attended North Monastery CBS. He is an Irish author who has written over 150 works, but is best known for his short stories, one of which is 'The Man of the House'. He was born on September 17, 1903, and died on March 10, 1966.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/64199.Frank_O_Connor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_O'Connor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/64199.Frank_O_Connor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_O'Connor
PLOT
This short story is about a little boy called Sullivan who has a sick mother. Sullivan is initially unconcerned about his mother’s illness, and mildly pleased because he got to stay home and play at being the ‘man of the house’. However, his initial delight changes to concern on the second day due to his fear that his mother has pneumonia. The second night and the third day are (www.bulbsoup.com) even more frightening because he has to fetch the doctor and travel to the North Dispensary to get her medication. At the dispensary, he meets a young girl who tricks him into drinking, and sharing the medicine, with the result being an empty bottle to take home to his mother. Sullivan suffers extreme guilt as a result of this and goes home crying. His mother consoles him and forgives his childish misdemeanor.
This short story is about a little boy called Sullivan who has a sick mother. Sullivan is initially unconcerned about his mother’s illness, and mildly pleased because he got to stay home and play at being the ‘man of the house’. However, his initial delight changes to concern on the second day due to his fear that his mother has pneumonia. The second night and the third day are (www.bulbsoup.com) even more frightening because he has to fetch the doctor and travel to the North Dispensary to get her medication. At the dispensary, he meets a young girl who tricks him into drinking, and sharing the medicine, with the result being an empty bottle to take home to his mother. Sullivan suffers extreme guilt as a result of this and goes home crying. His mother consoles him and forgives his childish misdemeanor.
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SETTING
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CONFLICT
Sullivan is a very responsible young man who is conflicted, to a minimal extent, about sharing his mother's medicine with (www.bulbsoup.com) his new friend. The focus of the story is then on how riddled with guilt he is, when at the end, he and Dooley finish his mother's medicine.
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CHARACTERS
Sullivan
Mother
Minni Ryan
Doctor
Dooley
The little girl that Sullivan met at the dispensary.
She persuaded Sullivan to share his mother's medicine with her
Sullivan
- A very responsible little boy.
- Enjoys playing at being a man by taking care of his mother and the household chores.
- He is persuaded to share his mother's medicine
Mother
- A sickly lady.
- She feels guilty that her son has to display such maturity by taking care of her.
- Displays what a loving mother she is by understanding that Sullivan is an innocent boy who succumbed to peer pressure.
- She also takes excellent care of her son when she is able to do so.
Minni Ryan
- She is a family friend who advises Dooly during the course of his mother’s illness.
- A middle-aged woman who is very knowledgeable.
- Very pious and gossipy; according to Dooly.
Doctor
- He was a fat, loud-voiced man.
- He was the cleverest doctor in Cork.
Dooley
The little girl that Sullivan met at the dispensary.
She persuaded Sullivan to share his mother's medicine with her
THEMATIC TABLE
THEMES
Love & family relationship
This is shown in the relationship between the mother and her son. Sullivan is frightened that his mother will die of pneumonia, so, despite his fear, he enters a public house (pub) in order to ensure that she gets her homemade remedy, and travels to an unsavory neighbourhood in order to get her medicine. The mother is equally devoted to her son, as seen in her guilt over the (www.bulbsoup.com) fact that he has to take care of her. She is also very understanding when he succumbs to the peer pressure of drinking her medicine. She understands that one cannot expect a child to be a man, no matter how well he does at playing at being a man. Her love for her child is also manifested in the pride she feels when he displays a level of maturity akin to an adult.
Childhood experience
Sullivan has the experience of interacting with a little girl, whom he then learns a very hard lesson from. She, through subtle peer pressure, encourages him to share his mother's medicine and they end up finishing the bottle. These experiences, by virtue of her reactions to them, are what shape our childhood and usher us into maturity.
Loss of Innocence
The fact that Sullivan does not recognize that his new friend is using him for a taste of his cough syrup proves that he is still an innocent young man, at least in relation to the ways of the world. Despite playing at being a man, he is still an innocent child. His reaction, after realizing that he was used, also points to his innocence. He reacted in the manner that any child would, he ran home crying.
Love & family relationship
This is shown in the relationship between the mother and her son. Sullivan is frightened that his mother will die of pneumonia, so, despite his fear, he enters a public house (pub) in order to ensure that she gets her homemade remedy, and travels to an unsavory neighbourhood in order to get her medicine. The mother is equally devoted to her son, as seen in her guilt over the (www.bulbsoup.com) fact that he has to take care of her. She is also very understanding when he succumbs to the peer pressure of drinking her medicine. She understands that one cannot expect a child to be a man, no matter how well he does at playing at being a man. Her love for her child is also manifested in the pride she feels when he displays a level of maturity akin to an adult.
Childhood experience
Sullivan has the experience of interacting with a little girl, whom he then learns a very hard lesson from. She, through subtle peer pressure, encourages him to share his mother's medicine and they end up finishing the bottle. These experiences, by virtue of her reactions to them, are what shape our childhood and usher us into maturity.
Loss of Innocence
The fact that Sullivan does not recognize that his new friend is using him for a taste of his cough syrup proves that he is still an innocent young man, at least in relation to the ways of the world. Despite playing at being a man, he is still an innocent child. His reaction, after realizing that he was used, also points to his innocence. He reacted in the manner that any child would, he ran home crying.
TECHNIQUES
Symbolism
Sullivan's mother's cough syrup is symbolic of a loss of innocence. This is the case because it is the instrument that facilitates Sullivan's fall into temptation. He ends up succumbing to peer pressure and the children finish the cough syrup. Clearly, this technique highlights the theme of loss of innocence.
Irony (situational)
It is ironic that Sullivan is, initially, excited about being at home, but this excitement ebbs when the situation gets serious. He then looks on sadly at his friends, wishing that he could go to school too. Essentially, the responsibility that was initially so attractive, becomes unattractive due to the adult nature of the issue at home. He was, initially, playing at being an adult, his mother's decline, however, forced him to really behave like a man.
Symbolism
Sullivan's mother's cough syrup is symbolic of a loss of innocence. This is the case because it is the instrument that facilitates Sullivan's fall into temptation. He ends up succumbing to peer pressure and the children finish the cough syrup. Clearly, this technique highlights the theme of loss of innocence.
Irony (situational)
It is ironic that Sullivan is, initially, excited about being at home, but this excitement ebbs when the situation gets serious. He then looks on sadly at his friends, wishing that he could go to school too. Essentially, the responsibility that was initially so attractive, becomes unattractive due to the adult nature of the issue at home. He was, initially, playing at being an adult, his mother's decline, however, forced him to really behave like a man.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What was Sullivan's mother trying to do when she started coughing? 2. List the tasks that the protagonist did for his mother? 3. What reason did Sullivan give his friend for NOT going to school? 4. What was on Sullivan’s ‘to-do’ list? 5. Why did Sullivan NOT go far to play? What activity did he do every half an hour? 6. What concern did Miss Ryan have about Sullivan's mother’s health? 7. Recount Sullivan’s experience of shopping for whiskey? 8. How did Sullivan's mother’s illness progress in the night? What quality about it particularly frightened Sullivan? 9. What was different about the new day? 10. List the chores that Sullivan had to do on this new day? 11. What important task did Sullivan have to do? 12. Who kept the little boy company? 13. What was the little boy pressured to do? 14. How did the little boy feel after he gave in to the peer pressure? 15. What did he do before he went home? 16. How did his mother react? 17. What is the point of view that is used in this short story? 18. What plot structure is used in this short story |
CLICK
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Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
O'Connor, F. 'The Man of the House' in A World of Prose, edited by David Williams and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. (Harlow, Essex) Pearson Education, 2005.
O'Connor, F. 'The Man of the House' in A World of Prose, edited by David Williams and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. (Harlow, Essex) Pearson Education, 2005.
