"The Drunkard"
Frank O'Connor
In this rather comedic story, characterizations of both the narrator and his father lay the groundwork for a prominent theme: seeing flaws in another person is sometimes the only way people improve.
The narrator's father is revealed to the reader through direct characterization. He is a hard-working man. When sober. Mick spends the majority of his time saving his money and making prudent, well-informed decisions. However, once tragedy strikes or he starts to feel superior, he decides to have a little alcohol in either mourning or celebration which turns into a few weeks of drunkenness and lost pay. "Sooner or later, the wpiritual pride grew till it called for some form of celebration. Then he took a drink..." (O'Connor, 344). Every time the cycle hits this stage, the family is put in financial crisis.
Because of his father's calamitous alcohol cycle, the narrator must assume the role of a "brake" for his father. However, he is quick to point out that he has never been successful in this role before because of his lack of foresight. Ironically, this ingenuous quality eventually led to his success. Not knowing any better, the narrator drank his father's pint. As a result, Mick had to take care of him, his vomiting, and his gashed head. There is little doubt that this image of his son staggering and insulting random women would make Mick question his affinity for alcohol.
The narrator made his father realize the folly in his ways by allowing the roles to reverse for a day.
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