The Father Hugh Garner
The Father by Hugh Garner Pre-reading Questions
1. The word ‘father’ is commonly understood as a male parent to an offspring.
2. Children may expect their father to spend time with them, play with them, care for them, and protect them. After Reading
1. John Purcell’s goal is to reconnect with his son. Over the past year, they have been drifting apart because of John’s alcoholism. John had not yet realized that drinking was the problem.
2. John does not succeed in gaining a closer relationship with his son because he made the mistake of drinking on the night of the banquet. He embarrassed his son which ruined their relationship even more. “The Father” ended in dramatic irony because John didn’t think about how his behavior and actions affected his son. While Johnny was running away, John realized what the problem was all along and he worried if the damage he made was irreparable.
3. John didn’t spend enough time with his son because he thought Johnny just wanted to be left alone. John should have communicated more with his son and spent less time drinking.
4. When his son is running away from him, John realizes the wrong decisions he chose to make. The source of their conflict had been caused by him drinking alcohol, not some mysterious unknown problem. John thought about the affects it had on Johnny and wondered if he would ever be able to reconnect with his son. Theme Paragraph In the short story, “The Father”, by Hugh Garner, the father transitions from selfish ignorance to a painful realization. John
1. The word ‘father’ is commonly understood as a male parent to an offspring.
2. Children may expect their father to spend time with them, play with them, care for them, and protect them. After Reading
1. John Purcell’s goal is to reconnect with his son. Over the past year, they have been drifting apart because of John’s alcoholism. John had not yet realized that drinking was the problem.
2. John does not succeed in gaining a closer relationship with his son because he made the mistake of drinking on the night of the banquet. He embarrassed his son which ruined their relationship even more. “The Father” ended in dramatic irony because John didn’t think about how his behavior and actions affected his son. While Johnny was running away, John realized what the problem was all along and he worried if the damage he made was irreparable.
3. John didn’t spend enough time with his son because he thought Johnny just wanted to be left alone. John should have communicated more with his son and spent less time drinking.
4. When his son is running away from him, John realizes the wrong decisions he chose to make. The source of their conflict had been caused by him drinking alcohol, not some mysterious unknown problem. John thought about the affects it had on Johnny and wondered if he would ever be able to reconnect with his son. Theme Paragraph In the short story, “The Father”, by Hugh Garner, the father transitions from selfish ignorance to a painful realization. John