Character Development the Boat by Alistair Macleod

The Son
The son had loved his father dearly but does not favor his way of life. His interest in school greatly outweighed his interest or desire to work on ‘The Boat’. He still had a love for the sea and in some way felt like he should carry out his family’s tradition. After his uncle had accepted a new job he took his position on the boat and promised his father that we would continue to sail with him for as long as he lived, and when his father passed despite the desires of his mother he followed his dreams and pursued education and all of its wonders. After living his life he finds himself longing for the sea again and isn’t so satisfied with his life. He has a love for the sea because he would always see his father wake up every morning and work his aging life away to provide for his family. He also loved it because it part of his family’s roots, his uncles from his mother’s side are all fishermen. He toughed it out with his father because he felt that is was very brave of his father to choose a life doing something he didn’t want to do than forever following his own dreams. He chose to pursue education because he knew it’s what he really wanted to do and that in a way he was living the life his fathered only ever dreamed of. The Father

The father was a typical fishermen; he would prep his boat as all fishermen do and wake up early mornings and be off to his post. Although the father was good at what he does he did not have a love for the job, instead he loved to lie down on his bed smoke cigarettes and read as many novels as he could. The father himself admits to his son that he wishes he went to university, showing us that his true dream was not to be a fisherman. The job really took a toll on the father’s body; he did not tan like his wife’s brothers, and would come home with cut up lips and burned skin. In the end I believe the father was disappointed that his son chose to stay and fish with him but in a way grateful that he had his company and did not fail his wife completely. I believe before marriage the father was addicted to learning and education but also fell in love with a beautiful women how loved the sea for it was in her roots. When he fell in love I believe that the father was conflicted with chasing his dreams or staying and living the dream his beloved had envisioned. At the time he might have felt like he was making the decision that he wanted but as the years went by he regretted his choice but chose to continue living his life never fully being who he really wanted to be.

The Mother
The mother being a local beauty was raised in a fishermen family. She believed everything should be spotless and in order, the way her brothers ran their ships. She was a typical fishermen house wife; she grew beautiful gardens and raised broods of ducks and hens and would go digging in the mud for clams. At one point she might have loved her husband but it was quite evident that she despised him and his books. There were moments when they clashed fiercely with each other and she was disgusted with his inability to retain his children in the fishermen lifestyle. The mother was very ignorant and closed-minded towards other traditions. This is proven when the daughters marry men from different lifestyles and the mother wants nothing to do with them. She believes that they are lazy, dishonest, and the unknown in which she fears.