Question

In The Exercise by Bernard MacLaverty, What is the subject, and what is one central theme in this story? How does the author introduce and develop this theme throughout the text?

Answer 1

Answer:The subject of the story is the experience of a young boy named Kevin dealing with his home life as well as his schoolwork. The author describes an incident in which Kevin’s teacher punishes and humiliates him for not knowing the right answers. One of the central themes of the story is that a father’s love can protect and support children when they are going through problems or hard times. For example, the author shows the deep and loving bond between Kevin and his dad when he describes how much the children love having their father home from work and how Kevin’s father tries to help him with schoolwork. The author also develops this theme by invoking the motif of the father’s coat pocket, which is warm and deep, just like his father’s love: His father smelt strongly of tobacco for he smoked both a pipe and cigarettes. When he gave Kevin money for sweets he’d say, “You’ll get sixpence in my coat pocket on the banisters.” Kevin would dig into the pocket deep down almost to his elbow and pull out a handful of coins speckled with bits of yellow and black tobacco. His father also smelt of porter, not his breath, for he never drank but from his clothes and Kevin thought it mixed nicely with his grown up smell. He loved to smell his pyjama jacket and the shirts he left off for washing. . . . Kevin laughed and slipped his hand into the warmth of his father’s overcoat pocket, deep to the elbow.-Plato Answers

Answer 2

One can argue that the subject of such a story is in fact the life of a young man, who is called Kevin, managing homework and life at home. The writer portrays an episode where Kevin's educator penalizes and mortifies him for not having the correct answer to what was asked of him. Among the central themes of the story, one of the focal subjects is that a dad's affection can secure and bolster youngsters when they are experiencing issues or difficult occasions. Bernand MacLaverty even demonstrates the profound and adoring security among Kevin and his father when he depicts how much the youngsters love having their dad home from work and how Kevin's dad has attempted to assist him with his schoolwork.