![]() Something which Gus has most likely been taught. The only thing stopping Gus from going to the Cathedral and lighting the candle is the fact that the Church has an expectation (at times) that an individual pays for their prayer. ![]() The fact that Gus can’t say his prayer and light a candle in the Cathedral may also be important as O’Connor may be putting a spotlight on the Church and the practice of paying for prayers. Having spent the money on sweets (for the girl). Not only does he feel he has let his mother down but he also feels guilty because he won’t be able to pay for a candle in the Cathedral. It is also noticeable that for such a young boy the guilt becomes unbearable for Gus. It is only when he becomes enamoured with the girl that he loses concentration and forgets what his intentions really are. Things were going well for him and he was acting responsibly. Prior to taking the medication Gus’ concentration levels and his desire to do the right thing for his mother were high. But O’Connor may be drawing on the biblical story of Adam and Eve (and the apple) in the Garden of Eden. The fact that Gus is tempted by the young girl at the dispensary to drink his mother’s medication is also important as not only is it the first occasion in the story in whereby Gus lets himself down. This may be deliberate as O’Connor may be attacking the male dominated society that existed in Ireland at the time the story was written. The man in the bar comes across as not only been a drunk but also as an irresponsible buffoon. Which leads to Gus feeling not only guilty but struggling with his conscience. It is also interesting that O’Connor throughout the story looks unfavourably on most of the male characters in the story. However it is noticeable that while he is at the dispensary Gus does end up drinking his mother’s medication. He does the shopping for his mother and he goes to the dispensary to get the medication for his mother. Gus tries on several occasions to act older than his years. It is also after reading the story that the reader realises that O’Connor may be exploring the theme of responsibility. Taken from his Collected Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a man called Gus Sullivan who is looking back at an incident in his life when he was ten years old. In The Man of the House by Frank O’Connor we have the theme of innocence, temptation, guilt, responsibility, control, resilience, redemption and acceptance.
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