In this project, based on the short story, “Father and Son” written by Bernard MacLaverty, photos will be inserted with matching quotes for each plot point, and an explanation indicating that the quotes relate to the story. “Father and Son” is taken place in the 60’s or 70’s in Ireland. This story is about a relationship between a Father and his son, and the difficulties they have faced in the past and present. It is written in the first-person point of view, switching perspectives throughout the entire story. The relationship that the father and son share is unhealthy at the least, and the story eventually leads to a tragic ending.

1) Exposition

At the beginning of the short story, in the exposition, the characters and setting are revealed. The father is very protective of his son, ensuring that he is safe, “I know that in a few minutes he will come in to look at me sleeping. He will check that I came home last night” the son is bothered by the way his father is constantly concerned for him (MacLaverty 165).

2) Initiating incident

As the initiating incident arises, the son is always angry at his dad for hounding him with questions and being paranoid about the son’s actions, “Why do you always spy on me, you nosey old bastard?” he does not appreciate having someone care about what he is up to (MacLaverty 169).

3) Rising Action

the first part of the Rising action starts to take place when the father and son have conflict assuming he has been involved with drugs, “ I want to know if you are in danger again,” the father has been constantly checking in to ensure his son will not make the same mistakes (MacLaverty 167).

4) Rising Action

The second rising action is when the father is reminding his son of how he took care of him when he had been unstable, “ I had to go and collect you. Like a dog,” hoping that the reassurance will prevent his son from acting out in the future (MacLaverty 168).

5) Rising Action

The third and final rising action component is when the dad does not trust his son, and expects more from him then to be out that late when he could be in a dangerous situation, “You should be in your bed. A man at your age. Its past one” (MacLaverty 166).

6) Climax

The main part of the story or the climax happens when his son is talking with friends at the front door, all seems well until, “There is a bang,” the father suspects something may have occurred (MacLaverty 169).

7) Falling Action

The falling action begins to occur when the father immediately drops everything to investigate the unexpected sound, “A dish-cloth drops from my hand and I run to the kitchen door.” He finds his son laying on the threshold (MackLaverty 169).

8) Denouement

At the end of the story, known as the denouement, conclusion or resolution, the father is so heartbroken to find his son on the floor bleeding. He tries to comfort his son by holding him and talking to him, “My son, let me put my arms around you,” as he has always wished for (MacLaverty 169).