"The Drunkard" ~by Frank O'Connor

(#6)
The principal irony in the story is the role reversal between the father and son. The father is an alcoholic who rarely drinks; however, he cannot control himself whenever he does. He always ends up drinking too much and is too drunk to go into work the next day. Therefore, his family suffers from not earning money on those days. When the father plans on going to the funeral, the mother sends their son with him to try to prevent the father from getting drunk. Instead, the son ends up drunk. The son becomes easily irritated, angry, and yells at the neighbors on the way home. As they walk down the street, the neighbors watch and begin to gossip about it. "I was maddened by the women's shrieks of laughter. I was maddened by Father's bullying. I tried to dig in my heels but he was too powerful for me, and I could only see the women by looking back over my shoulder" (page 350). The next day, the son is home in bed and the father is at work. This is a complete reversal of roles from the normal lives of the family.