Characterization of the father from The Boat.

Introduction:

         In the story The Boat by Alistair MacLeod, the author did a great job on creating/portraying the father character. For a short story with little time to truly represent a character, all of the elements (appearance, actions, interactions, dialogue, and thoughts and feelings) were included.   

Appearance:

Within the first mentioning of the father in the story, the text states that he has shaggy white hair, and wears red-soled rubber boots daily. He wore the rubber boots daily because he was always working on a boat. The long days of working on the boat could have also played a role in the aging of his hair. In the same paragraph of the first mentioning of the father, it also states that he has a ‘stubble’ beard, which smells of saltwater. The clothing he wears are based upon comfort and warmth because he sometime works in extreme weather conditions. On page 264-265, the narrator describes the clothes his father wears while he is undressing, I.e. Heavy wool sweaters, mittens, woolen doeskin shirts, etc. 

Actions:

 From the actions of the father mentioned in this story, we know that he was a very simple man, who enjoyed routine. For starters, he worked on the boat practically all his life, and came home each day being asked nearly the same questions, with the same replies (page 262). We can also tell from the decisions he made that he wasn't 'dad of the year'. At one point in the story, the father put his own feelings before his sons, wanting his son to work on the boat with him instead of going to school like the son wanted. 

Interactions:

The father has a very interesting way with interacting with others. He gives of an almost intimidating feeling, so others feel uncomfortable approaching him (his son). He also has a stern way of communication. For example, when the son told the father that he made his final decision on not working on the boat, the father replied with "That's no way to make a decision, and if you are satisfied I am not" (page 272, 4th paragraph).

Dialogue:

         The father says very little in the story, this tells the reader that the father is ‘keep to himself kind’ of person. However, when he does speak he gets his message across, almost in a blunt manner. On page 275, the text states that the son nearly spilt his heart out to his father, saying very resolutely and very powerfully that he would remain with his father as long as he lived, and his fathers only response was “I hope you will remember what you said”. 

Thinks and Feels:

The father thinks that his son should be just like him, and be interested in all of the same things, especially the boat. The father probably feels disappointed that he can’t bond with his own son due to the fact that they have no similarities. This makes it hard for both the son and the father, and since they never really had a close relationship; they can’t talk to one another about the boat. The tension between the two makes the father feel uncomfortable because things are so awkward. He seems as if he is almost confused as to why his son can’t just take interest in the boat. The father almost turns to the mother for support on the fact that their son is an outcast in the family, which leaves the son with nobody really to turn to. The father probably feels more superior and thinks he doesn’t have to give his son very much attention. The whole story shows how awkward things are between the father and the son.

Conclusion:

So by reading “The Boat” you find out about a young boy whos family owns a boat. But this isn’t just any boat, it was a boat that symbolically tied their family together. “They repeated ‘the boat’ at the end of all their questions and I knew it must be very important to everyone.” (page 262)The problem with the boat, and their family was that the young boy didn’t take interest in the boat like the rest of his family. His parents were very disappointed in him, which was the main reason for all the conflict in the story. This story has a tragic ending leaving the characters torn apart and going in their separate ways. “It’s not an easy thing to know that your mother lives alone on an inadequate insurance policy and that she is too proud to accept any other aid.” “But neither is it easy to know that your father was found on November twenty-eighth, ten miles to the north and wedged between two boulders at the bas of the rock-strewn cliffs where he has been hurled and slammed so many many times.” (page 277)