The Stoat

JOHN MCGAHERN
 Analysis
1. Annotate examples of violence
in paragraphs 1-3/ what is the
narrator’s father doing? Make
notes on the mood. Note the
father’s reactions to his son’s tale
2. Note the son’s retort. Comment
on the effect of ‘counter thrust’.
The tone of the exchange
between father and son is polite
but lacks warmth. Is there
evidence for this?/ Underline key
words and phrases about the
study. Comment on the
reference to emotions at the
bottom of p.2 (note the change
in time)
3. The father’s response is interesting –
hurt + pessimism. How does the
nature of an advert makes the search
cold? The phrase ‘the woe that is
marriage’ sums up the tone of this
story. The response suggests there are
a lot of lonely people. Comment on
the father’s reaction to the
respondents. Note the details on the
uncle.
4. There is a cruelty to the ridiculing
attitude of the uncle. Find evidence.
Note the uncle’s offer and the
narrator’s feelings. The tone at the
bottom is nihilistic. Looking back, can
you find lots more examples of this.
Analysis notes

 2. there is a detachment in the

discussion between the father and
the son that the author signals by
selecting the sons profession to be
a medical one like a doctor this
allows him to examine it with
clinical ease and perfection
 Analysis

5. The narrator’s feelings about his 7. The dialogue is terribly cold. Underline
father courting are cold. His examples. The reference to the uncle
philosophical response (‘Who was and his comment is interesting. Note the
he…’) is correct but does not seem cyclical structure and the way violence
right. Comment on this. Find more opens and closes this story.
examples of nihilistic comment. Note
the return to the violent beginning and
its link to the evening ahead
6. How is Miss McCabe’s comment
thoughtless? The conversation about
money is tense. Find evidence. Note the
narrator’s sad response to the evening’s
events. Like the beginning the heart
attack is unexpected. The father’s
feelings about Miss McCabe are terribly
harsh as well as his plans. Note them
and how they are tragically contrasting
to Miss McCabe’s. What is the reason
for linking the father to the stoat?
More analysis notes
 Further analysis

1. The story portrays dysfunctional or conflictual relationships. Look again at them and
annotate negative words and phrases – father + son, father + uncle, father + Miss
McCabe
2. The narrator is a medical student. Find evidence of his clinical world view. His
perspective on life, people and relationships is logical but profoundly unsatisfying.
Find evidence
3. The lexical choices are clever at creating the nihilistic mood. Note the ‘uncle’s
mordant voice’. Find lots of other examples
4. How does the episode of the rabbit and stoat both frame the story and create a
dark mood, exploring themes of survival, selfishness and a lack of compassion or
empathy?
5. What does the motif of running link the animal world and the human world? What
does it suggest about existence?
6. The idea of plans and dreams is contrasted against the unexpected heart attack.
What does this suggest about life? Is this a healthy perspective to hold?
7. It is difficult to reconcile the allegory with the human narrative. But this is perhaps
the point. Can you explain why?
Further analysis notes