The Drunkard

The Dunkard
Frank O'Connor

The Father in this story truly got the short end of the stick. The author cleverly used pathos by explaining the plight of Father throughout the story. He initially had a successful life; he worked hard, saved wisely, and studied as much as he could so he could engage in intellectual debates. When his friend Mr Dooley would talk to him, he felt accomplished, for Dooley was a man of great accomplishment himself and he had a high social status. When he died, Father wasn't so much upset as he was astounded by the impact Dooley left. The awe that struck Father throughout the time near Dooley's death made Father feel satisfied, not only with Dooley but with how he himself had lived his life. The satisfaction "grew till it called for some celebration. Then he took a drink..." (O'Connor 344). The drinking began to tear the family apart, and the son had to be by his father side while his life was wasted away. While in the bar after the funeral, the son became so thirsty that he forced down his father's alcohol and quickly became intoxicated. He didn't necessarily want to do it, but he wasn't too mad that it had happened. Father, however, has both worried and furious that he had accidentally gotten his son drunk. Not only that, but the boy fell and cut his head wide opened, which was on display for the whole street as his father carried him home. The sneers of the women loitering the streets were targeted at Father, but the son assumed they were at him causing him to get a little testy. Nevertheless, the father got him home alright and, for the most part, safe, but the mother was furious at the father, or so I thought. After a heated argument, the mother came in and kissed the son on the forehead, revealing that the incidents will lead his father away from drinking once again. Having his son drunk must have completely embarrassed the father, so he would have to put off drinking if he ever wanted to have a respectable reputation again!