Long Distance Part II

In the second part of Long Distance we learn how attached the son is to his father. In part 1 the son seemed to view his father as a general annoynance, someone who rang him all the time to moan. However when the father dies in part 2 the death hits the son hard. Despite his bluntness in believing "life ends with death and that is all," Harrison finds himself still ringing his fathers disconnected number, in the wild hope he will be able to speak to him. Harrison was already feeling guilty in part 1 of long distance for not doing enough for his father, a guilt which would have been intensified after his father's death. While i related to Harrison in part 1 and felt some sympathy there is much more sympathy in part 2. His love of his father is much more evident in part 2, he associates his father with slippers and water bottles and comfy, cosy items. As a result you appreciate Harrison's grief for his father, and after reading part 1 you realise not only is Harrison upset at the loss of his father but is also wracked with guilt about not doing more for him. Until the last few lines of part 2 Harrison seems to appear fairly insensitive, irritated at his father for constantly ringing and showing no obvious grief for his mother, but when his father dies you see Harrison as a far more sensitive person then first thought.

There is also a lot more sympathy for the father in part 2. In part 1 he was portrayed as a stereotypical grumpy old man. His wife's death was barely touched upon and although the I felt sympathy for his apparent lonliness, there wasn't much to pull on the heartstrings, In part 2 you appreciate the fathers intense grief for his wife. He can't bear to clear away any of her things, refusing to accept she is gone. It is only in part 2 you realise how much this woman meant to the father, and how crushingly lonely he must be now she is dead. As such you feel annoyance at Harrison for not being more understanding in part 1, and sympathy swings more towards the father.