My Oedipus Complex

As both a character and object of affection for the narrator, Mother, as she is exclusively known, demonstrates her practical nature and stoic personality by how she interacts with the men in her life. Although helpful and supportive, she acts as an imperfect go-between for Larry and her newly returned husband. Whether it is indulging Larry’s battle to join them in the big bed or navigating their loss of income, the kind of homemaking she does changes after the war ends. Often described as quiet or “simple,” she shows great patience as the family squabbles.

A woman going through uncertainty both financially and emotionally, Mother’s faithfulness comes through in her insistence on attending St. Augustine Mass. Going beyond Catholicism and devotion, she directly connects to women at the local convent. She even holds sway and influence over the women there. Larry notes that “Mother had them all praying for Father” (13).

However, she is not necessarily enjoying the pedestal her son puts her on, nor does the pedestal seem to align with the reality of her situation. According to Larry “looking anxious destroyed her good looks” (14). While she tries to smooth out the tension between her husband and “the child,” she doesn’t always agree with her husband’s way of handling things. She also does not think too highly of the father’s collection of war souvenirs and memorabilia and the financial safety net he believes they offer. This indicates that the relationship she is fighting for, putting her at odds with Larry, is more complex than Larry’s narration reveals.

The largest change Mother goes through is the arrival of her next child, Sonny. Doting on him and indulging in the baby, she creates a parallel to her wartime life with Larry. Rather than feeling jealous of the new baby, her behavior inspires pity and ire in Larry. As the story progresses and her attention goes toward her new child, her happiness is more apparent even as the narrator’s preference for her lessens.

The catalyst for change within the family, Father—or Mick, as Mother calls him—returns to the family’s home in Ireland after the war. A veteran of the First World War, now seeking employment elsewhere, he had made visits to the home, but had not stayed long. Throughout the story, Father is defined most often by his attention. He is compared to a magpie, and it is through his collection of military trinkets and souvenirs that the reader is able to learn the most about him (12). His adoration for this collection speaks to the way he viewed his past in the army and the value he saw within his time there.

The narrator additionally remarks upon the way Father gives and withholds attention. Father is described as having “an extraordinary capacity for amiable inattention” (14). The man is often surprised by the existence of his son, needing reminders about what has woken him up or caused some minor trouble. Given the inclusion of the gifts he gave, the warmth and humor he has upon viewing Larry, and the way he sidesteps so many of Larry’s old routines, it is much more likely ignorance rather than indifference that drives this relationship. This man, isolated through war, has not had the chance to be a father or even an individual outside of his military responsibilities. Mother needs to remind him, calling out his name, Mick, for the first time and saying, “Don’t you see the child isn’t used to you?” (19).

It is this transition from soldier to father that Larry picks up on, and it is the central change Mick goes through. Larry notes the change from the army uniform to the dirty old cap his father always wears as a disappointment (14). However, the two form a stronger bond after the birth of Sonny.