This project is based on the short story “Father and Son” by Bernard McLaverty. This story was set in 20th century during Irish Civil War. The main characters, Father and Son has a very bad relationship and has been arguing ever since son got home from London. Son has been missing for 2 years until the police called his father. Ever since then, father has been worried about son’s health and behaviour and tried talking to him but never worked. The situation gets worse; having his son killed by his “friends”. Father gets surprised that his son was killed and has to face mournful situation; his dead son around his arm.

1) Exposition

“I hear him not eating anything, going about the kitchen with a stomach full of wind.”
“This is my son who let me down. I love him so much it hurts but he won’t talk to me “

The first quote was the son describing how his father is falling apart. The Second quote was describing how the father feels the son is letting him down. This shows that both of them have certain expectations for the other and both feel the other isn’t doing their part.

2) Initiating Incident
“What do you be doing out to this time?”
“Not again”
“Answer me.”
“Talking.”
“Who with?”
“Friends. Just go to bed, Da, will you?”
“what do you talk about?”
“Nothing much.”
“Talk to me, son.”
“What about?”

In the story, this argument is what initiated/escalated the tension between the father and the son. It shows a lack of communication between the two.

3) Rising Action
“Your fingers, orange with nicotine”
“A breakfast of two Valium and the rest of them rattling in your pocket, walking down the street to your work.”

These quotes were thoughts that were going through the heads of the son and the father. The first quote shows how the father knows that his son is addicted to nicotine. The second quote is how the son knows his father is addicted to drugs. This shows that both of them knew that the other had problems but none of them were willing to put their egos aside and were willing to help each other. This led to even more escalation.

4) Rising Action
Let me put my arm around your shoulders and let me listen to what is making you thin.

Dad wants to know what conflict his son is having inside and tries to help him out but son doesn’t want to hear his dad out. This leads to arguments son and dad have in the future

5) Rising Action
“My son with friends. Talking. What he does not do with me.”

This was the last incident before the climax. The son brought in his friends and it caused a major shift in the story.

6) Climax
“There is a bang. A dish cloth drops from my hand and I run to the kitchen door.

The father heard a bang while washing dishes and the bang indicated that something had gone down with his son and his son’s friends.

7) Falling Action

“I take my son’s limp head in my hands and see a hole in his nose that shouldn’t be there.”

The father had noticed his son on the ground and now is seeing a gunshot wound on his son’s nose, judging from where he was seconds before. His friends probably shot him in the nose.

8) Denouement

“My son, let me put my arms around you,”

This was the final action that took place in the short story. The father seemed to be saddened by his son being on the floor lying there as he got shot in the nose and is most likely deceased at this point