This short story addresses the complexity of human nature. We see that the father in the story is conscious and he is proud of not drinking regularly. We also know that he is aware of the consequences of his drinking. Moving on, we see how the mother uses her son and what she does to try to outsmart the father. When we look at the father, we see how he reacts to the death of his neighbor, what the neighbor represented to him and how this tells us about the father's character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay We see that he has a Christian belief and that one should do harm to others. He feels that he is expected to go and he also seems to enjoy the funeral. When we look at what happens to the son, we see the father's reaction to the drink and he takes no responsibility. He is embarrassed by what happened and his biggest regret is missing the party because he had to take care of his son. He already knows what drinking does. The son doesn't know when his father says, "never again." The son wasn't sure if he was talking about himself or the alcohol, indicating that there is no firm answer as to whether or not the father still drinks. We have an innocent young man telling the story and he's reacting to what's happening. around him, which brings us to the theme. The theme of this short story is that one can intentionally harm oneself to help a family member. When the mother lies next to her son and calls him her "guardian angel", we get the sense that she knows that she is dependent on outside influences (God) to help her when it comes to life. her husband's drinking. She knows that she herself is helpless and that there is nothing she can do to stop him from drinking. She too is as helpless as her husband over his drinking. Perhaps this is the point the author is trying to make. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Although alcohol is widespread and accepted in society, the author may suggest that it should be treated with caution. Something the son knows now after drinking for the first time. Rather than alcohol having a positive effect on the individual, the author may be implying that if not consumed in moderation, not only will alcohol change an individual, but it will also have a negative effect on any a family. Which seems to be the case with the family in the story. With the mother having difficulties in life due to her husband's drinking. At no point in the story does she feel like she can trust her husband when it comes to his drinking..