The purpose of this project was to take eight photos that represent eight plot points from the short story, “Father and Son,” by Bernard McLaverty. The plot points that we selected signify the most important points in the story: the exposition, initiating incident, rising actions, climax, falling action, and the denouement.
McLaverty’s short story is about a father and a son, and their disjointed relationship. The father and his son are both facing inner demons, which makes them have a lack of communication, weakening their relationship. The father is so worried and scared for his son that he cannot sleep. His son has problems with drugs and has been caught in bad situations in the past. The father wants to talk to his son, and says that he will, but he keeps putting it off. The son thinks that his father is a coward, and for this reason, he will not talk to him. The story comes to a climax when the son is shot and the father finally gets to hold his son in his arms. The plot points in the story highlight the conflict between the father’s and the son’s relationship.
1) Exposition
Quote:
“Because I do not sleep well I hear my father rising to go to work. I know that in a few minutes he will come in to look at me sleeping. He will want to check that I came home last night” (Callaghan 165)
Explanation:
This quote introduces the complications between the son and the father. It also introduces the characters, the father and the son, to the reader. The reader also becomes aware that the main setting of the story is the house. This information is the main point of the exposition.
2) Initiating Incident
Quote:
“My son is breaking my heart. It is already broken.” (Callaghan 166)
Explanation:
The fathers quote introduces the reader to the conflict of the story between the father and the son. This sets up the plot for future conflict and gives deeper meaning to characters. The reader becomes aware that the main conflict will be within the father’s and son’s relationship. This gives insight to the plot and the character’s relationship.
3) Rising Action
Quote:
“I have not seen my son for two days. Then, on the radio, I hear he is dead. They give out his description. I drink milk. I cry. But he comes in for his tea.” (Callaghan 167)
Explanation:
This quote shows the internal conflict within the father and how his negative relationship with his son is affecting his mental state. His mental state later explains his actions. This is important to the plot and represents rising action because it adds layers to the conflict in the plot and foreshadows to the climax.
4) Rising Action
Quote:
“ I had to go and collect you. Like a dog.” (Callaghan 168)
Explanation:
In this quote the reader is provided with background information to improve understanding of the Father’s emotions and the son’s past. This increases the tension within the conflict, adding complexity to the plot. This plot point represents rising action because it improves comprehension of the character’s reasons behind their actions within the conflict.
5) Rising Action
Quote:
“The door swings open and he pushes a handgun beneath the pillow. Seen long enough, black and squat, dull like a garden slug.” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
This moment is the final moment before the climax. Tension and emotions are heightened to add suspense to the story. The pressure in the story continues to build before the resolution and the story’s peak. The readers suspicions of the son’s dangerous activities are confirmed.
6) Climax
Quote:
“There is a bang. A dish-cloth drops from my hand and I run to the kitchen door. Not believing, I look into the hallway” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
During this moment all tension is released and the story begins to wrap up. It is confirmed that the father’s suspicions about his son being in a troubling situation were true. It is the most eventful moment of the story. The conflict is resolved in an unfortunate matter; the father receives closure about his son.
7) Falling Action
Quote:
“My son is lying on the floor, his head on the bottom stair, his feet on the threshold.” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
This moment ties up loose ends andconfirms that the son has been shot. The father startsto make
his own conclusions about what happened and who did it. The reader becomes aware of the end of the conflict between the father and son. There is a sense of closing to the scene that gives evidence that the story is being wrapped up.
8) Denouement
Quote:
“I take my son’s limp head in my hands and see a hole in his nose that should not be there. At the base of his nostril. My son, let me put my arms around you.” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
In this scene we see the final action of the father saying his farewell to his son. He is finally allowed to hold his son and care for him; what his son wouldn’t let him do when he was living. The final emotional moment between the father and the son is realized.
el Foster is an well-liked, ambitious young newspaperman in Morley Callaghan’s short story, “Two Fishermen,”. He is the only reporter for the paper in his small town, and wants to move on to bigger things. He wants to, “get a reporter job on a city paper” (Callaghan 1). Michael shows a decent level of sophistication and education through his speech and ambition in his career. He is respected throughout the town due to his profession and education, as people refer to him as, “a smart young fellow” (Callaghan 1). He is tall and long legged, and carries a presence in every room he enters. He lives in a small, well-knit town where big events do not happen without everybody knowing about it. This makes Michael care deeply about his reputation with the townspeople. He fears that the people in the town will associate him with Smitty, and the prejudice that Smitty carries. He went as far as getting off the fishing boat at a different time than Smitty because, “he didn’t want to be seen walking back to town with [Smitty]” (Callaghan 5). Michael cares so much about his reputation that it puts him in an uncomfortable position with Smitty and the towns people, as he must decide which relationship matters to him more. Michael feels guilty when he pretends not to know Smitty, but he doesn’t do anything about it. Michael is an ambitious and smart young man, but he must decide where his loyalties lie in order to deal with his inner guilt.