The Searcher

Absent fathers, whether physically or emotionally distant, are a consistent motif in the novel. Johnny Reddy, who abandoned his wife and their six children for a trip to London, is the most notorious absent father. According to Lena’s assessment, “Johnny was always a great man for the ideas […] not so great for making them happen” (58). While this directly refers to Johnny’s inability to execute his business ideas and provide income for his family, it also indirectly refers to the thoughtless way in which he fathered six children, without doing anything to raise them into decent citizens, capable of handling the world. Brendan’s lack of trust in his father forces him to model himself against Johnny. For example, he ensures that he keeps his promises and takes care of his younger siblings where his father will not. It also subconsciously causes him to despise authority figures in general—hence his rudeness to the teachers at school and Mart Lavin and his cronies. However, Brendan’s lack of a father ended in his death, as his inexperience led him to make risky plans that he was not prepared for. Therefore, as much as Brendan tried to be a better man than his father, he had not developed the skills to succeed as a fully-fledged adult.