Characterization of the father

In this section, we will help you by highlighting a few important points for you to consider when you deal with the characterization of the father, who is the main character in this short story.

The third person narrator lets the protagonist reveal himself to the readers. The reader can easily follow the father as he goes into the supermarket, looks for something to buy for his son and then stops to watch the rescue of Chilean miners on TV. Furthermore, through the narrative technique of the flashback, we gain access to his memories and thoughts. Also, the mother’s perspective on the father gives us a more complete picture of the protagonist.

The father is a middle-aged man with tired eyes. The eyes are a symbol of all the troubles caused by his son’s addiction:

“As he walks, he catches glimpses of himself in reflective surfaces. Eye bags dip past his cheek bones. They are puffed with the unrealised hopes of constant Googling. Sometimes he does not recognise his reflection in the mirrored...