I Feel sorry for malachy (father)

His real personality is more evident in the book. He doesn't try so much at all.

The thing with the baby Margaret Mary in the beginning was totally cleaned up. What happened with the baby's corpse is avoided in the movie...

I felt sorry for him.

I mean, I just WANTED him so bad to change!

And even though it's apparent he didn't try hard enough to change, I still wanted him too.

The boys loved him, and him and Angela had their sweet moments. Man, I just wanted everything to work out :\

And I think he's both useless and desperate. Useless cause he can't keep a job and isn't dependable. Desperate for a life that's different from the one he has now and desperate for alcohol.

The Father is so complex! He ALMOST mended his ways when Little Margaret was around, her death killed something inside him. The fact her little body was never buried proper and Catholic was heart wrenching in the book (I believe the rumor was it was sold or something to a doctor for "medical use") The book was like a car accident, it was painful to read, turned my stomach and at one point made me want to wretch-but I could not put it down. I won't see the movie because the book was so heart wrenching. The Father did teach his kids how to read, I remember that,he also was very good at calming them down and keeping them from dealing with too much but he did become a deadbeat, losing Margaret and then both the twins proved too much I guess.

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The book gave a clearer description of him. If you read it, you would no doubt see Malachy as a useless drunk. Occasionally, I did feel slightly sorry for his persistent alcoholism, but it's hard to sympathize for someone who uses all the money they're supposed to be earning to help their family survive to buy beer. When he's sober (not often) he can be very loving towards all his children and Angela, but when drunk or in the presence alcohol, he can be reckless (fighting and yelling) and direspectful (putting his beer mug on one of his son's coffins). Overall, you have to remember that he is just human and weak when it comes to fighting his temptations.

"El-arairah, your people cannot rule the world for I will not have it so." ~Frith

I hate when people refer to alchoholism as an "illness". It sounds like such a copout.

I sympathized with the father. In certain parts you could see that he really wanted to be a good father, but he just didnt know how, he couldn't change his ways. I guess I could relate because my father, and many other Irish men, is a lot like that. I know my Dad loves me, but he just isnt sure of expressing how much.. I guess its hard to relate to..

"You're an eating disorder, people look at you and throw up."

Oh, he is a horrible father. He was rarely around and when he was he only made it worse for his family. The father in "A Tree Grown In Brooklyn" was also an alcoholic but he was a much better Father. Malachy only cared about himself.

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