Fly in the ointment Essay

A younger valet de chambre visits his sever father, who is discourage following the collapse of his business. The son is a disappointment to the father due to his choice of career.The father seems impregnable until, during their conversation, a fly enters the room, with the father overreacting in an attempt to get rid of this simple fly. This overreaction is perceived as weakness by the son, and driven by pity, he offers his father some money. Immediately the passion and nada returns to his father, and the shrewd, cunning business soldiery reemerges and brutally demands to know why he had non been offered this money sooner.What does the title destine? Firstly we should take a look at the title since it could provide some insight into why certain aspects of this story are present. A fly in the ointment is a proverb or saying that basically means that something spoils a situation that could have been pleasant. This is shown in the short story literally by a fly which enters the room and causes such an overreaction by the old man that foreshadows text that shows that everything is not as they seem things are not alright. Why the father is such a memorable partingThe young man, the son, is shown in the first paragraph to rather walk a distance than show up in a cab in front of his father since he thinks The old man depart wonder where I got the money. This quote is the first sign that shows the ref that the old man is concerned with money. The author uses two statements to show the demise of the business, firstly building a business out of nothing, and then, afterward a few years of prosperity, letting it go to pieces in chafer of rumour, idleness, quarrels, accusations and, at last, bankruptcy. The sons questions whether they were telling the truth when they state the old man was a crook and that his balance sheets were cooked? and then secondly, later in the story the narrator shows the sons thoughts when he thinks the father leave alone tell him the embarrassing truth which he already knows about, that of the people youve swindled. These show the father in a bad light, a cheating businessman that set(p) his sheets for acknowledgement and was concerned with money and the class of men it put him with.The fathers concern with kind status is shown when he the author states A small man himself, he was proud to be bankrupt with the big ones it made him touch sensation rich. This also foreshadows that despite the old mans statements about having no need for money, he is still truly concerned about it, since he has a desire to feel rich. The use of foreshadowing and its role together with humor and irony There are many instances of foreshadowing, a few that have been mentioned above.One that is apparent is the use of his father had two faces. which shows the contrasting emotions the old man can show and his ability, like a businessman to show the face that will suite his residue needs.This piece of foreshadowing should show th e reader the truth behind the father but instead the reader is made to believe the old man, that he no longer has need of money. In the old mans speech to his son on the irrelevance for money he states, If you came in now and offered me a thousand pounds I should laugh at you. this shows the reader that the father has outgrown his cruel, greedy ways.The irony emerges when the son does in fact merely mention raising cash when the father, instead of refusing it, brutally demands why it had not been forthcoming. This established change of face (intended pun) is ironic since it goes against what the reader expects. It is almost humorous in the emergence that the father has not changed, and the reader will see the amusing side behind the fly. An actual fly foreshadows the proverb, that pleasantry will be spoiled, by the fathers demands of cash after his apparent no longer need for fiscal bounds.