THE MAN OF THE HOUSE SUMMARY

The story starts with a terrible sound of constant coughing of the sick mother which wakes up the little
boy and he runs downstairs to look into the matter. There he finds his mother in a critical condition
collapsing in an armchair holding her sides. Totally distressed she was trying to light a fire to make tea
for the boy, but the smoke generated by the wet sticks worsened her cough. Worried son immediately
takes charge of everything. He stops her from going to work and makes her lie in the bed.

Dutiful Sullivan makes tea and toast for her. He immediately decides that instead of going to school he
would stay at home to look after his mother and mind home affairs. Systematic boy heats up another
kettle of water and cleans up the breakfast mess. Then he comes to his mother to make a list to shop for
dinner. Caring Sullivan is worried and wants to call a doctor for his mother, but thrifty mother declines
his wish as she is afraid that the doctor would send her to hospital. To cheer up the frightened son the
affectionate mother tries to pretend that she is fit and fine, but their neighbor Miss Minnie Ryan has all
the doubts that she might be suffering from pneumonia. She advises him to give his mother some hot
whiskey mixed with a squeeze of lemon in it to comfort her.

Determined Sullivan goes to the public house for the first time to get whiskey. Although scared he does
not lose courage and overcomes his fear. Whiskey does not work that well and whole night depressed
Sullivan could not sleep due to the terrible coughing of his mother. She keeps on rambling badly while
talking. In the morning bewildered Sullivan heads to call the doctor from the distant dispensary. Before
that he goes to get a ticket from the house of a Poor Law Guardian to save the doctor’s fees. The
organized boy tidies the house and keeps ready the basin of water, soap, and a clean towel for the
doctor. Much to their relief the doctor doesn’t advise to hospitalize the mother instead he prescribes a
cough syrup for her.

Reliant Sullivan’s sincerity and concern earns all the praise of Miss Ryan and the doctor for him. Again,
the poor boy sets off with a bottle to get the medicine from the dispensary situated at a distant place.
On the way he comes across a cathedral. With complete devotion he prays for his mother’s quick
recovery in his heart and makes up his mind to spend his only penny to light a candle in the church when
he would finish his task. At dispensary he meets a little girl Dooley who has come to get medicine for her
sister. The girl is very clever and talkative. Anguished Sullivan enjoys her company after going through
such terrible times. On way back the innocent boy spends his penny on sweets which they both enjoyed.
Dooly is a cunning girl. She incites Sullivan to taste the sweet cough syrup of his mother. Confused boy
gives way to temptation. Both of them relish it immensely. When the entire medicine is consumed
confused Sullivan realizes his fault. He begins to panic and starts crying. Dooly misleads him to tell a lie
that the cork fell out.

Repentant Sullivan is full of remorse and guilt feeling. He fears that because of his negligence his mother
would not get well. Panicked Sullivan prays the Virgin Mary to do some miracle to save his mother. He
gets back home totally broken and shattered. Mother is alarmed to see him howl. She hugs and consoles
him passionately. Truthful and honest Sullivan confesses his crime. The forgiving mother shrugs it off.
The tired boy falls fast asleep under the intoxication of the medicine. With the grace of God, the miracle
happens, and Sullivan wakes up to find his mother smiling and recovered.
• the constant sound of coughing of the sick matter wakes up Sullivan and he runs downstairs to look
into the matter

•Sullivan makes tea and toast for her And decides he'll be staying home to look after his mother

•Sullivan's mother is afraid that the doctor will send her to the hospital, miss Minnie Ryan is scared that
she has pneumonia

•Sullivan goes to the public house for the first time to get whiskey

•the doctor came to the house, and he prescribed cough syrup for her

•on his way he came upon a church to pray for his mother's quick recovery

•At the dispensary he meets a little Girl named Dooley who was ever clever and talkative.

•Dooley tricked Sullivan into drinking his mother’s cough medicine and he consumed all of it

•She tells him to lie about what happened and he felt guilty,

•he fears his mother will not get well so he prays to the Virgin Mary to do some miracle to save his
mother

•Sullivan comes home, tells his mother what happened, and she forgives him

•Sullivan wakes up from a slumber to find his mother smiling and recovered