1) Exposition
Quote: “This is my son who let me down. I love him so much it hurts but he won’t talk to me. He tells me nothing… When he sees me he turns away, a heave of bedclothes in his wake,” (MacLaverty 1).
Explanation: This introduces us to our two main characters, the father and the son. It also shows us how the son and the father have bad communication and that they don’t really like each other. Also shows how the son tries to avoid conversation between him and his father.
2) Initiating Incident
Quote: ‘“You should be in your bed. A man of your age. It’s past one.” “Let me make you some tea.” The boy shrugs and sits down. He takes up the paper between him and his father. “What do you be doing out all the time” “Not again” “Answer me” “talking” “Who with?” “Friends, just go to bed, Da, will you?” “What do you talk about?” “Talk to me, son” “What about?”’ (MacLaverty 2).
Explanation: This shows us how bad their communication is between both. The son doesn’t care what the dad has to say and doesn’t want to talk to him. The son also won’t tell his dad where he’s going or who he hangs out with.
3) Rising Action
Quote: “Your fingers, orange with nicotine. I pulled you away from death one and now you will not talk to me. I want to know if you’re in danger again,” (MacLaverty 2).
Explanation: This shows us how the father sees his son. He says he had pulled his son away from death meaning that his son has escaped death and his father is scared it might happen again. He also notices that his son is using drugs such as nicotine.
4) Rising Action
Quote: “A Breakfast of two Valium and the rest of them rattling in your pocket, walking down the street to work,” (MacLaverty 2).
Explanation: The Father must use the Valium in the morning for breakfast. Valium is used to relax people. The father also uses them throughout the day because the son feels like he is constantly scared and it seems like he always is.
5) Rising Action
Quote: “My son, he is full of hatred. For me, for everything. He spits when he speaks… Let me put my arm around you and talk like we used to on the bus from Toome,” (MacLaverty 3).
Explanation: The father knows that his son hates him and everything around him. The father also notices that his son is spitting when he speaks meaning he might have a problem with drugs. The son also doesn’t want to take to the father, but the father wants it to be like old times.
6) Climax
Quote: “There is a bang. A dish-cloth drops from my hand and I run to the kitchen door,” (MacLaverty 3).
Explanation: The dad does the chores in the house while his son is talking to his buddies by the door. While doing the dishes, the father hears a bang and rushes to the door as it sounds like a gunshot.
7) Falling Action
Quote: “My son is lying on the floor, his head on the bottom stair, his feet on a threshold,” (MacLaverty 3).
Explanation: This is important because the bang at the door was a gunshot and the father rushes over to his son who is lying on the ground. The doors still open and he notices that his son was punched and he was bleeding.
8) Denouement
Quote: “I take my sons limp head in my hands and see a hole in his nose that should not be there,” (MacLaverty 3).
Explanation: His dad decides to examine his son, still believing he is still alive. He got shot under the nose and thats why the father had seen the hole under the nostrils. In the end, he got to finally put his arm around his sons shoulder.