Discussion Topic
Mrs. Conlan's feelings about John's drinking and smoking
Summary:
Mrs. Conlan disapproves of John's drinking and smoking. She is concerned about the negative impact these habits might have on his health and future, reflecting traditional values and a desire for John to lead a responsible, healthy life.
What are Mrs. Conlan's feelings about John's drinking and smoking?
Mrs. Conlan unfortunately doesn't do much about letting her opinion on
John's drinking and smoking be known. She does things like interrupt every
argument with a trivial offer of a pleasantry or with cleaning or with vacating
the locale. Most attribute Mrs. Conlan's behavior to insensitivity and
perfectionism that prevents her from noticing or caring about John's harmful
habits. However, it may be that, after a long marriage to a man that is a trial
and a sorrow, and after seeing some of the same traits arise in her beloved
son, Mrs. Conlan may be using these avenues to escape the heartbreak she feels
and the heartbreak she envisions coming.
If the first scenario of insensitivity and perfectionism is true, then Mrs. Conlan's attitude toward John's smoking and drinking would most logically be callous unconcern or blind disregard. If the second scenario of escapism from overwhelming unhappiness and dread is...
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true, then her attitude toward John's behavior would most logically be frightened disapproval and paralyzed worry.
In The Pigman by Paul Zindel, what are Mrs. Conlan's feelings about John's drinking and smoking?
In Chapter 9 of Paul Zindel'sThe
Pigman, the protagonistJohn Conlan reflects on how it
was really due to his father's influence that John himself
became a heavy drinker and how his mother doesn't really seem to
care what John does, just so long as he doesn't disturb his
father.
John has dubbed his father and mother Bore and the Old
Lady respectively. In his reflection, John remembers how when he was
ten years old, Bore "got a big kick out of it when ... I'd go
around emptying all the beer glasses lying around the house"; Bore would even
boast to company, "That kid's going to be a real drinker."
John also reflects that when his father quit drinking due to liver illness,
John did not quit drinking. More importantly, no one seemed to
care. John also relates that if John smoked, all the
Old Lady was concerned about was whether or not he would "burn
a hole in the rug." If John drank, she was only
concerned about whether or not he would "rinse out the glass."
Otherwise, her only concern was that he not disturb anyone, especially not his
father.
References