The Man of the World (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Michael Francis O’Donovan
- First Published: 1957
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The early twentieth century
- Setting: Ireland
- Principal Characters: Larry, Jimmy Leary
- Genres: Short fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Adolescence, Teenagers, Twentieth century, Friendship, Men, Boys, Ireland or Irish people, Naivete, Voyeurism
- Locales: Ireland
The Story
The protagonist, Larry, is a naïve, very young person who knows nothing of the world. Unable to see beyond the appearances of things, he takes everything and everyone at face value. He is first seen in a comic light taking his possessions to spend a few days at his friend's house. He calls this ordinary experience a holiday, and the neighbors laugh at his pretension and innocence. His friend, Jimmy Leary, considers himself to be a man of the world and looks down on nearly everyone in the neighborhood; however, he is willing, even proud, to teach Larry the knowledge...
[The entire page is 1406 words long]
