Francie’s father is married to Francie’s mother during Francie’s childhood, though the two divorce each other when Francie is at college. As a teenager, Francie suspects her father of cheating on her mother, and his absence from the story—in contrast to her mother’s sporadic appearances—suggests Francie’s relationship with him is a distant one. His divorce from Francie’s mother is the catalyst for one of the many explosive stories Francie writes, which reflects the unprocessed trauma it caused her throughout her adolescence. Because of this, despite the weak bond between Francie and her father, he’s perpetually present in her creative work.
Francie’s Father Quotes in How to Become a Writer
The How to Become a Writer quotes below are all either spoken by Francie’s Father or refer to Francie’s Father. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
How to Become a Writer
Quotes
About the second you write an elaborate story of an old married couple who stumble upon an unknown land mine in their kitchen and accidentally blow themselves up. You call it: “For Better or for Liverwurst.”
About the last you write nothing. There are no words for this. Your typewriter hums. You can find no words.
Related Characters:
Francie, Francie’s Mother, Francie’s Father, Francie’s Brother
Related Symbols:
Explosions
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Francie’s Father Character Timeline in How to Become a Writer
The timeline below shows where the character Francie’s Father appears in How to Become a Writer. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
How to Become a Writer
...mom who, she notes, has a son in Vietnam (Francie’s brother) and a husband (Francie’s father) who might be having an affair. Instead of commenting on Francie’s writing, her mom tells...
(full context)
