David Park's novel "The Truth Commissioner" is acclaimed to be an outstanding story about the making up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that has never and probably will
never take place in the war-torn country of Northern Ireland. It therefore is entirely fictitious but it orientates on similar proceedings in South Africa or Chile. Since the novel is not only dealing with political issues it focuses rather on the narration of four main characters who apparently have nothing in common. But when taking a closer look upon these four foundation pillars, each of them is
a father figure in his own way. Fatherhood is undoubtedly a big issue in the book considering how different all four men live with the consciousness of being a father, being a father soon or never being a father at all. Thereupon, this paper makes an attempt to elaborate, evaluate and compare all four characters and their father-child-relations.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Situations
2.1 Henry Stanfield – The Spurned Father
2.2 Francis Gilroy – The Concerned Father
2.3 James Fenton – The Childless Father
2.4 Danny – The Father-To-Be
3. Solutions
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines David Park's novel "The Truth Commissioner" by analyzing the psychological motivations and complex family relations of four central male characters. It explores how these men, each representing a distinct father figure, grapple with their personal histories and responsibilities within the framework of a fictionalized Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
- Psychological analysis of fatherhood archetypes
- Evaluation of the protagonists' pasts and personal brokenness
- Impact of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on individual identities
- The influence of the case of the murdered child on character decisions
- The tension between private guilt and public roles
Excerpt from the Book
Francis Gilroy - The Concerned Father
Gilroy, who was appointed recently as Minister for Children and Culture, is a man who struggles not only with the signs of aging but also with his new function as the bride's father. His wife, Marie, is constantly concerned about his physical condition and therefore seems to behave more like a mother that a wife, even though she acts as his first advisor in professional and personal issues. Due to his concern about his aging and aching body and his daughter who he feels is slipping away from him in a fast and incontrollable way his occupation as well as his overshadowed past become secondary.
His chapter begins with the morning when he gets up and prepares for work. His personal assistant Sweeney and his driver Micky arrive and Marie reminds him not to forget the important fitting in the wedding shop of which he is not really fond of because it means one step further in the process of giving away his only daughter to a man he does not know very well and he does not like. Generally spoken, the feelings that Francis Gilroy is experiencing particularily with regard to his daughter Christine's wedding are not unusual.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces David Park’s novel "The Truth Commissioner" and outlines the paper's goal to analyze the four main characters and their specific father-child relationships.
2. Situations: This section provides individual character portraits, examining the specific psychological and situational contexts of Henry Stanfield, Francis Gilroy, James Fenton, and Danny.
3. Solutions: This chapter analyzes how the four characters manage their complex personal histories and responsibilities as their individual story lines intersect with the Truth Commission process.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the role of the child in the novel, emphasizing the tragic nature of Connor Walshe’s case and the characters' failures to provide protection.
Keywords
The Truth Commissioner, David Park, Fatherhood, Father-child relationship, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Northern Ireland, Psychological motivation, Henry Stanfield, Francis Gilroy, James Fenton, Danny, Connor Walshe, Identity, Responsibility, Past.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the analysis of four main male characters in David Park's novel "The Truth Commissioner" and examines how their roles as fathers or father figures influence their actions and moral struggles.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The central themes include fatherhood, the weight of a shadowed past, personal responsibility, guilt, and the search for truth within a political and familial context.
What is the core research goal?
The objective is to elaborate, evaluate, and compare the four characters' father-child relationships and analyze their psychological motivations throughout the narrative.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The paper utilizes a literary analysis approach, focusing on psychological character study and the examination of thematic motifs within the context of the novel.
What content is covered in the main body?
The main body is divided into character portraits in the "Situations" section and an analysis of how these characters navigate their relations and personal crises in the "Solutions" section.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include fatherhood, truth commission, identity, responsibility, and the specific names of the protagonists: Stanfield, Gilroy, Fenton, and Danny.
How does James Fenton’s character differ from the other three?
Unlike the other main characters, James Fenton is not a father, yet his narrative arc is defined by an intense, subconscious longing for fatherhood that he attempts to fulfill through his connection to a boy at an orphanage.
What role does the "Truth Commission" play for Danny?
For Danny, the Commission represents the point where his self-constructed web of lies collapses, forcing him to confront his past as a soldier and his identity as Michael Madden while fearing the reaction of his pregnant girlfriend, Ramona.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Diana Kiesinger (Autor:in), 2010, Truth Matters. Father Figures in David Park's "The Truth Commissioner", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/296331
