Analysis

On this page, we summarise the analysis of the short story "Father and Son" by Bernard MacLaverty that we put forth on the following pages.

First, we determine that the text is a story with a minimal plot. This means that most of the elements of the plot are missing, or are very simplified. The story starts in medias res and has several different points of view. The short story also uses flashbacks and flashforwards, making it possible to see it as a series of scenes changing quickly. 

The setting of "Father and Son" by Bernard MacLaverty is the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Since the story was written during what is known as the Troubles, the background of the story is one of violent conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the region.

The main characters of the story are - as the title suggests - a father and his son. Two other characters are mentioned, but they are absent from the actual action: the dead mother and the doctor.

On the following pages, we will look further into these elements of the story and give you additional insights worth consideringer, when you work on your own analysis.